180 years after Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, "Manuscript of the History of the Qing Dynasty" believed: "The authority is not sent to the cabinet, but to the military aircraft." The military minister not only replaced the cabinet ministers, but also had power beyond the cabinet, and was the emperor's most powerful person. The trusted ministers, cabinet became an honor, and the military held real power. According to the view of the "Manuscript of Qing History", only the minister of military aircraft can be regarded as a "confidant and powerful assistant". Binzhou人Duhan is the Minister of Military Aircraft, and he is the "Minister of Care for Life".
1. Du Han's life
Du Han (1806-1866), named Hongju and Jiyuan, was the eldest son of Emperor Xianfeng's mentor Du Shoutian. He studied with his grandfather Du Yan since he was a child and received a strict traditional Confucian education. He passed the imperial examination in the fifteenth year of Daoguang (1835) and the Jinshi in the twenty-fourth year of Daoguang (1844) and entered the Hanlin Academy. The following year, he served as a reviewer of the Hanlin Academy. In the 29th year of Daoguang's reign (1849), he was appointed academic administrator of Hubei Province. In his academic and political role, Du Han was well supported by local students and was known as a scholar leader. In July of the second year of Xianfeng (1852), his father Du Shoutian died of illness in Qingjiangpu, Jiangsu Province. Emperor Xianfeng was grateful for his master's teachings and bestowed a special favor on his son Du Han. Du Han was ordered to rush from Hubei to Qingjiangpu, , and return to Beijing with his coffin, and all academic, political, and defense affairs were temporarily handed over to the governor and administrative department."
Although Du Han was Du Shoutian's eldest son, he had passed on Du Shoutian's eldest uncle as his grandson, so he only had to observe mourning for one year. Emperor Xianfeng entered school at the age of six and grew up under the care and guidance of his mentor Du Shoutian. The two were called master and apprentice, monarch and minister, and they had the same affection as father and son. Before Emperor Xianfeng could repay his master, Du Shoutian passed away. He once gave instructions with great emotion. : "Seventeen years of feelings have passed away. Alas, your misfortune is really my misfortune!" Emperor Xianfeng transferred his feelings for the master to his son. Therefore, he especially trusted Du Han, relied on him the most, and placed high hopes on him. . In August of the third year of Xianfeng (1853), the period of filial piety expired. In November, the promise made by Du Shoutian when he died was fulfilled and he was replaced as the right concubine of Zhan Shifu Youchunfang, with an official rank of fifth rank. In December, he was promoted to the title of Bachelor of the Cabinet and Minister of Rites, and his official rank was from the second grade. Soon, Emperor Xianfeng appointed Du Han to be responsible for patrolling the capital, inspecting the affairs of the six ministries, and serving as the direct cabinet minister of Wenyuan Pavilion. On January 23, 1854 (December 25th of the third year of Xianfeng), he was promoted to Zuo Shilang of the Ministry of Industry. The next day, he was ordered to "walk on the minister of military aircraft" and became the minister of military aircraft and entered the core management of the country. In September of the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), because his mother passed away, he observed filial piety and ceased duty. The emperor specially ordered a reward of 400 taels of silver to attend the funeral. A year later, in October of the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859), when the period of filial piety expired, he was appointed as an official The right servant is still entering the military aircraft office. In the tenth year of Xianfeng's reign (1860), he fled to the Jehol Palace with the emperor, and in September he was promoted to the right minister of the Ministry of Rites. In April of the following year, he concurrently served as the left minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. In July, before Emperor Xianfeng died of illness, he ordered eight people including Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun to be appointed as "Ministers of the King of Zanxiang Government Affairs" and general regents of the government, commonly known as "Gu Ming". Eight Ministers". In September, the Empress Dowager Cixi launched the "Xinyou Coup" to "Prince Yi Zaiyuan and others steal the political power. Han was unable to fight, so he ordered to withdraw from the military and handed over to the king and ministers for discussion." In October, he was dismissed. He was assigned to serve in the Xinjiang Army, and then he was pardoned and exempted from deployment. Du Han stayed behind closed doors from then on, and died in depression at the age of 61 in the fifth year of Tongzhi (1866). Since the end of the third year of Xianfeng, Du Han has been serving as the military minister throughout the Xianfeng Dynasty, and he is a veritable minister.
Du Han is a member of the Privy Council and decision-maker, and his important task is inspection. In the spring of the fourth year of Xianfeng's reign (1854), Du Han went to Tongzhou to inspect the warehouse. He wrote: "It has been found that the rice and beans picked to dry in Datong Bridge are not edible. Please pay compensation separately for verification." In the seventh year of Xianfeng (1857), he went to Dongling and Xiling to inspect the construction projects of the cemeteries. In the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), he worked with Prince Hui, Prince Yi, Prince Zheng, etc. to handle the patrol affairs of the Eight Banners battalions in the capital, and inspected the Eight Banners as a Han Chinese, which shows the extent to which he was trusted by the emperor.Du Han was repeatedly entrusted with important tasks by Emperor Xianfeng. As the minister of military aircraft, he constantly changed and worked part-time as the minister of various ministries. Especially in the fourth year of Xianfeng, he began to serve concurrently as the right minister of the Ministry of Industry and in charge of the affairs of Qian Fatang. He concurrently serves as the right minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and is in charge of Qian Fatang affairs and financial power, which shows his special identity and status and the emperor's trust.
Du Han has an upright character and dares to speak out. Even if he is inconsistent with the emperor, he dares to express his opinions. In the tenth year of Xianfeng's reign, when the British and French allied forces attacked Beijing, Du Han opposed Emperor Xianfeng's flight to Jehol. He and another military minister, Kuang Yuan, agreed with Wenxiang's suggestion. They believed that the emperor could not leave the capital to shake people's hearts. Immediately and publicly announced that the emperor was in Beijing to inspire people and stabilize the world. After the death of Emperor Xianfeng, Tongzhi ascended the throne. The imperial censor Dong Yuanchun asked the empress dowagers of the two palaces to listen to the government behind the curtain. Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Sushun and others thought it was not possible, and Du Han opposed it the most fiercely. He spoke sharply and even said, "If you listen to other people's words, I will never obey your orders." He, Sushun and other ministers Gu Ming quarreled so loudly with the Empress Dowager Cixi that the Emperor Tongzhi was so frightened that he peed on the empress dowager. This became one of the important grounds for convicting Minister Gu Ming in the future. Du Han fully defended the death of Emperor Xianfeng and strongly opposed the empress dowagers of the two palaces summoning Prince Gong. He said: "Uncles and sisters-in-law should avoid suspicion. Moreover, the emperor died not long ago. During the mourning period of the empress dowager, according to etiquette and law, it is even more difficult to do so. Summon the prince!" Sushun clapped his hands and praised: "You are worthy of being the son of Du Wenzheng!"
Du Han is very talented and has a literary reputation. In the sixth year of Xianfeng, he served as the examiner of the imperial examination and the lecturer of the classics banquet. Speak directly. In the tenth year of Xianfeng's reign, he served as deputy examiner of the joint examination. He has always been left by the emperor to handle military and state affairs, such as deploying and evaluating officials; reviewing and approving the issuance of silver coins; drafting and issuing various edicts, and dealing with daily affairs. Most of them are secret work and cannot be accessed by outsiders. He was diligent in political affairs, and was recognized and appreciated by his colleagues and affirmed by the emperor. He was also given the highest honors. He was rewarded with riding a horse in the Forbidden City, wearing a flower feather, etc., which were all extremely honorable. However, he was not able to serve outside in his life. A high-ranking governor on one side did not serve as the six ministers in charge of ministry affairs, and history did not give him a stage to display his administrative talents.
2. Du Han's poetry
Du Han left a large number of poems, articles, etc. Because he was a prisoner, he was not published, and his works can only be scattered in relevant materials. The overall tone of his poems is gray and depressive, mainly sentimental and full of worries about life. Even the scenery and lyrical poems are also full of sadness. For example, "Rain in Cangzhou": "The slanting wind and drizzle roll up the flags, and the grass is green and send horses' hooves. The wheat in the sky is dark and embroidered, and the plain forest is like a jian to protect the distant embankment. It is difficult to read the calligraphy of wild geese in the sky, and the fishermen across the water are fascinated. It's true. It is the good time of Qingming Festival, and the poetry is infinite. Painting on the west of the bridge "Shu Huai": "The great ambitions of the past year have been exhausted, and the official career is as thin as a cloud. Every time I get a good sentence from my sorrow, half of the good times pass away like a spring dream, and people are full of emotions in middle age." With my sister in time, the old years will be wasted." "Meeting Zhang Zijing's Cousin in Qingxian County": "Missing you makes me sad every time I don't see you, but meeting you as a guest makes you feel more intimate. The Chu River and Yanshan Mountain are lost in old dreams, and the orchids and bamboos smile to bring innocence. There is no need to be expensive when an official seeks salary and support. An official does not hate poverty if he is a good scholar. Parting in a hurry and meeting later, the season of falling flowers "Spring together."
Author's unit: Party History Research Institute of the Binzhou Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (Binzhou Local History Research Institute)
The original text is taken from "Hundred Historical Figures in Binzhou", with slight modifications.
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