Chapter 359 Chapter 358 Gaozong Aixinjueluo Hongli
In the 50th year of Kangxi (AD 1711), on August 13th, Emperor Qianlong Hongli was born in Lama Temple.Because of his big head and big ears, high nose bridge, and long body, he was deeply loved by his grandfather Emperor Kangxi.
In August of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng (AD 1735), Emperor Yongzheng died of a sudden illness.Ministers Ertai, Zhang Tingyu and others, while preparing for the funeral, gathered civil and military officials to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, took down the imperial edict of Emperor Yongzheng from behind the plaque of "Fairness and Brightness", and read it out to the princes.It was written in the edict: "Hongli, the fourth son of the emperor, is the emperor." Therefore, Hongli, who was originally Prince Bao, was embraced on the throne, and all the ministers shouted "Long live", and the new emperor issued a decree to amnesty the world. Next year will be the first year of Qianlong.He is the Qianlong Emperor in history, and his temple name is Qing Gaozong.
When Emperor Qianlong first came to the throne, he was still a young man in his 20s.At that time, the ministers of the DPRK and China were divided into two gangs, Ertai and Zhang Tingyu, which had become an open secret.Both E and Zhang were important ministers of the previous dynasty, with many party members. The officials of the government and the opposition either voted under Ertai's gate, or sought Zhang Tingyu's shade.The two factions fought openly and covertly, against each other, and even Emperor Yongzheng, who was resolute and resolute, felt helpless.Because both of them have made great contributions to the country, Emperor Yongzheng authorized the two to be attached to the Taimiao after their death.The Taimiao is the ancestral temple of the emperor's family, and it is a very high and very rare honor for the officials to receive the treatment they deserve.The existence of these two factions and cliques posed a prominent problem for Emperor Qianlong, that is, whether the relationship between the two factions could be properly handled, which became the key to the normal operation of the government.
After succeeding to the throne, Emperor Qianlong made it clear that he hated private cronies. At the same time, he treated the officials of the two factions equally, rewarded them for meritorious deeds and punished them for ineffective ones.If you want to use someone, you don't just ask one party, but ask everyone to make a statement.Ask lots of other people at the same time.Those who are questioned need to speak out. If they are found to be deliberately covering up or beautifying, they will be reprimanded at the least, and dismissed and returned home at worst.Therefore, although there were rivalries in the court, both parties worked hard for the court conscientiously, and neither faction dared to be arrogant.In the Qianlong Dynasty, this kind of sectarian confrontation not only did not significantly affect the operation of the government, but sometimes prompted both sides to compete for the country.
Emperor Qianlong showed kindness and power to his ministers, and anyone who made meritorious service to the country could be promoted to Duke immediately.If the generals on the expedition return triumphantly, Emperor Qianlong usually feasts in Ziguang Pavilion.Later, Emperor Qianlong ordered painters to make portraits of meritorious officials and hang them in Ziguang Pavilion to show his honor and favor.Due to the pacification of the rebellion in Junggar and southern Xinjiang, the portraits of 100 heroes were included in the cabinet, among which Fu Heng, a great scholar, was the first.In order to quell the rebellion in Jinchuan, big and small, and draw 100 portraits of heroes to enter the cabinet, with Agui, a university scholar, as the first.Later, with the meritorious service of leveling Taiwan, he painted 20 portraits of heroes and entered the cabinet.Although Agui has not entered the army, his image is still number one.In the end, he repelled the Gurkha invasion and painted 10 heroes to join the cabinet. Agui did not personally participate in the battle, so he begged Fukang'an to be the first, and Agui ranked second.During the Qianlong period, the generals were able to use many things outside, and the wars ended in victory. This has something to do with Emperor Qianlong's generous praise.
Although Emperor Qianlong claimed to be elegant and elegant, his authority was never given to others.Since Yongzheng, the Military Aircraft Department has become the highest authority under the emperor.Emperor Qianlong went to the military plane every morning to deal with politics.In summer, it was just dawn when he arrived at the military aircraft department; in winter, it was five o'clock when he arrived at the military aircraft department.There are usually more than a dozen people in the military aircraft department, and one person is left on duty every night in case of urgent matters, waiting for an impromptu summoning by Emperor Qianlong.I was also afraid that one more person would not be able to handle the matter, so I had to go to the military aircraft to help each other early every day, which was called the "morning shift" at that time.Emperor Qianlong came out of the bedroom and set off firecrackers every time he passed a door.Hearing the sound of firecrackers from far to near, the officials of the Military Aircraft Department knew that the emperor was coming.The officials of the Military Aircraft Department took the morning shift every five or six days, which was very hard work, but Emperor Qianlong did this every day, which made the officials of the Military Aircraft Department dare not slack off.If troops were used on the frontier, as long as there was a military report, even in the middle of the night, Emperor Qianlong would immediately watch it in person, and call the officials of the Military Aircraft Department to give face-to-face instructions at any time.The officials of the Military Aircraft Department drafted the document according to his dictation, and then handed it over to him for review.It often takes one or two hours in the middle, and Emperor Qianlong is still waiting in his clothes.The ministers of military affairs can specialize in matters, and in the end they all listen to Emperor Qianlong's decision.
Because the eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty were proficient in writing and ink, Emperor Qianlong was able to exercise power and mess up the politics of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, he changed the old system and abolished the inner book hall where the eunuchs were taught to read and write.Emperor Qianlong said: "The duty of the internal supervisor is to provide orders, as long as you know a few words, why send Ci officials to explain the meaning to them? This is the reason why the eunuchs exercised power in the Ming Dynasty." Since the thirty-fourth year of Qianlong ( After 1769 A.D., the inner palace no longer sent Ci officials to teach eunuchs.
Emperor Qianlong also had a measure to prohibit eunuchs from taking power, that is, all eunuchs who are on duty must change their surnames to kings.In this way, it is difficult for the officials of the foreign court to distinguish, and the seduction between them is avoided.A personal eunuch named Gao Yun told Emperor Qianlong a few things about the officials of the foreign court, which involved court affairs, and Emperor Qianlong ordered him to be executed.
In the Qing Dynasty, the eunuchs were under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Internal Affairs, and eunuchs were not allowed to go outside to misbehave.In April of the 22nd year of Qianlong (AD 1757), Fang Guancheng, the governor of Zhili, impeached Zhang Ruoying, the inspector, saying that he dared to blame the inner prison without authorization. , not only was not allowed to play, but Fang Guancheng was reprimanded for not knowing the general idea.Within a few days, Zhang Ruoying, who was impeached, was promoted seven grades in a row.For this matter, Emperor Qianlong issued a special decree, allowing officials from the outer court to punish any internal eunuchs who harass troubles outside.What's more interesting is that there was an eunuch who served in front of the emperor, and Emperor Qianlong called him "Qin Zhaogao".In fact, this eunuch did nothing bad. Emperor Qianlong called him this just to warn him.Because of the strict management of eunuchs in the former Qing Dynasty, the eunuch disaster did not occur in the Qing Dynasty like the Ming Dynasty.
Emperor Qianlong accepted the lessons of his relatives who were in chaos in history, and he also strictly managed the harem.The queen can only manage the affairs of the six palaces, and must not interfere in the political affairs of the foreign court.He also used the famous virtuous concubines in history as an example, and made twelve frames of "palace training pictures", which were hung in the harem every new year, as a model for the concubines to learn from.For example, there are "Concubine Xu Direct Admonition", "Empress Cao Emphasizes Agriculture", "Fan Ji Admonishes Hunting", "Empress Ma Practices Clothes", "Xiling Teaching Silkworm" and so on.When holding a banquet in the palace, Emperor Qianlong also asked the concubines to compose poems with the characters in the "Palace Training Picture" as the content.Although the concubine's family received rewards from time to time, and there was no shortage of high-ranking officials, they did not dare to exert too much power.
During the Yongzheng period, there was a large-scale "reform of the land and returning to the stream", changing many hereditary chieftains into stream officials.In the early years of Yongzheng, due to improper aftermath work, the Miao ethnic minorities in Guizhou, Yunnan and other places rebelled again. The Qing government sent Zhang Zhao, Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, to quell the rebellion.Zhang Zhao opposed Ertai's policy of "reforming the land and returning it to the local people", and played a secret role in "reforming the local people is not a policy", and even proposed to give up a large area of southwest land.He didn't understand military affairs, and the chaos was changing, so although the soldiers gathered, they were protracted and ineffective, and the scale of the Miao people's rebellion in the southwest became larger and larger.Not long after Emperor Qianlong came to the throne, he was quite furious when he heard such bad news, and determined to adjust the arrangement to put down the rebellion.He categorically ordered Zhang Zhaozhi to be arrested and imprisoned, and Zhang Guangsi was assigned to manage Miaojiang.
Zhang Guangsi is a veteran in seedling management. After a comprehensive plan, he formulated the strategy of "temporarily caressing mature seedlings and vigorously suppressing young seedlings".Emperor Qianlong appreciated his plan and ordered him to act according to it.Zhang Guangsi's orders were strict, and the Miao people were first punished according to the first evil, the second evil, and the assistants, so they marched to Kejie.When the news of Zhang Guangsi's success came, Emperor Qianlong smiled and ordered Zhang Guangsi to be the governor of Guizhou and also take charge of the governor's affairs.In order to take care of the customs of the Miao people and appease them, Qianlong stipulated that the Miao people's lawsuits should still be tried according to the Miao customs, regardless of the laws and regulations.The first time he used troops, he won a big victory, which made Emperor Qianlong strengthen his confidence in using troops.During his reign, he used troops on the frontier many times. Although he suffered heavy losses, he finally won.In his later years, he boasted of "perfect martial arts", which showed his complacency about the victory of using troops.
During the 60 years of Emperor Qianlong's reign, he conducted many conquests on frontiers and dependent countries, which became an extremely important content in his political career.
In the twelfth year of Qianlong (1747 A.D.), Sha Luoben, the Tibetan leader of Dajinchuan, rebelled openly.Emperor Qianlong ordered Zhang Guangsi to be the governor of Sichuan, and went all out to suppress it.Sha Luo ran against danger and resisted stubbornly, and the Qing army failed many times.Emperor Qianlong sent a senior scholar, Neqin, to supervise the teachers.Neqin was arrogant, and once he arrived at the front line, he was ordered to capture the rebel core stronghold, Guaerya, within 3 days, otherwise it would be done according to military law.As a result, soldiers were lost and generals were lost. Na personally felt that he had made a mistake, and never dared to issue an order himself.Zhang Guangsi was reprimanded by Neqin, and was dissatisfied with Neqin's ignorance of the military and his power over himself, so he blamed himself.After half a year, countless silver payments were spent, but no military exploits.Emperor Qianlong was furious, and immediately ordered Zhang Guangsi to be arrested and brought to Beijing, saying that he "forgot his country" and beheaded according to the law.Then pass the decree and order Neqin to play back.Naqin tried his best to shift the responsibility to Zhang Guangsi.Emperor Qianlong threw Neqin's memorial to the ground, ordered his guards to go to Neqin's house, took out the sword left by Neqin's grandfather Ye Bilong, and sent someone to send it to the front of the army. For the sake of strategy, additional troops were sent to attack in two ways with Yue Zhongqi.Sha Luo begged to surrender, and the big and small Jinchuan were pacified.Emperor Qianlong was very happy, and praised Fu Hengyou, comparing him to Zhuge Wuhou, who is flat and barbaric, and made him the first-class loyal and brave prince, and Yue Zhongqi was named the third-class prestige and trustworthy prince.During the triumphant return, Emperor Qianlong ordered the eldest son of the emperor and the ministers of the kings to work together. He personally drank in the Ziguang Pavilion and gave a banquet in the Fengze Garden to accompany the conscripts.
In the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766 AD), Dajinchuan rebelled again.Emperor Qianlong ordered Altai, the governor of Sichuan, to lead his army to suppress it, but failed for many years.Emperor Qianlong ordered Altai to be killed, and then sent Wen Fu, a senior scholar, as the governor, to conquest Jinchuan and Dajinchuan again with Shangshu Guilin as the governor.After using the army for several years, the teachers are exhausted.Qing soldiers suffered setbacks one after another.In the thirty-eighth year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong took Agui as the general of Dingxi because Wen Fu had died in battle, and Guilin had no merit, and ordered to exterminate the rebel bandits.In the forty-first year of Qianlong, Agui conquered Garya, the last stronghold of Dajinchuan, and the rebellion was quelled.The rebel leaders Sonomu and Sha Luoben led more than 20 members of their families to surrender.Agui offered to capture the capital, and Emperor Qianlong was captured at Yuwumen.Suo Nuomu and Sha Luoben were executed by Ling Chi, some of their family members were killed, some were imprisoned, and some were sent as slaves.Emperor Qianlong named Agui a first-class sincere and brave man, and his portrait was entered into Ziguang Pavilion.After this campaign, Da Jinchuan was changed to Argu Hall and Xiao Jinchuan was changed to Minuo Hall.
In the 20th year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong sent troops to quell the rebellion of the Junggar tribe.Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Yongzheng used troops many times, but failed to solve the problem fundamentally.The fact that the quasi-ministers served and rebelled from time to time became a big heart disease for the Qing court.After Erut was attached to Mongolia, Emperor Qianlong felt that the situation was favorable, so he ordered Bandi to be the general of Dingbei, and the attached Amur Sana was the left deputy general of Dingbian to attack the Junggar tribe in two ways.The Junggar army surrendered one after another to meet the Qing army.Qing soldiers entered Yili without bloodshed.Dawaqi, the leader of the rebellion, saw that the situation was not good, and led dozens of people to flee to southern Xinjiang.All tribes of the Uighurs in southern Xinjiang responded to the Qing army one after another and got rid of the rule of Junggar.Dawaqi fled to Wushi, was captured by the Uighur people, escorted to the Qing camp, and then sent to Beijing.Emperor Qianlong denounced Dawaqi's crime of treason, but in order to take care of ethnic relations, he pardoned his crimes, and made him a prince, let him live in Beijing, and gave him good treatment.
After Emperor Qianlong pacified Dawaqi's separatist forces, in order to weaken the separatist forces of the Junggar tribe, he named the four tribes of Erut as the four Khans, so that each of them was in charge.However, Amur Sana believed that he had made great achievements in suppressing the rebellion, and he wanted to be the chief khan of the four ministries.Qianlong did not agree to his request, but gave him a special honor and favor, and Jin named him a double prince and a double salary.He was still not satisfied, and his ambition to create divisions grew viciously.He did not wear the official uniform of the Qing Dynasty, did not hang the official seal of the Qing Dynasty, and wrote that all the ministries "deal with the general sweat", actively preparing for the rebellion.In September of the 20th year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Qianlong ordered him to go to the Mountain Resort to attend a pilgrimage, hoping to divert the tiger away from the mountain and eliminate the trouble before it happened.Amursana saw the Qing court's intentions and fled back halfway, publicly raising the banner of rebellion.
The rebellion expanded rapidly, and the Bandi soldiers stationed in Ili were defeated and killed.In the 22nd year of Qianlong, Emperor Qianlong ordered Gunzabu to be the general of Dingbian, and went out to the north road; he ordered Zhaohui to be the general of Yili, to go out to the west road.The Qing army drove straight in, unstoppable.Amursana fled into Russia in a hurry.Later, he died of smallpox, and Russia sent his body to the Qing court.
In southern Xinjiang, the size and Zhuomu rebellion ensued.Size and Zhuo Mu are brothers Huo Jizhan.They are religious leaders in southern Xinjiang and have a strong appeal among the Uighurs.After the rebellion broke out, it spread rapidly, and the envoys sent by Emperor Qianlong to southern Xinjiang were also killed.As soon as Zhaohui pacified the Tianshan North Road, Emperor Qianlong ordered him to lead an army to southern Xinjiang immediately to suppress the rebellion.The Qing army led by Zhaohui was only 3,000 people, and was besieged in Heishui by more than 10,000 rebels led by Huo Jizhan.The siege lasted 3 months, but the rebels have never been able to break through.Emperor Qianlong ordered Fu De, the general stationed in Urumqi, to go to southern Xinjiang for reinforcements.Huo Jizhan quickly fell apart under the internal and external attacks of the Qing army. Huo Jizhan's brothers were killed by local tribes, and the rebellion was finally quelled.
In view of the repeated rebellions in the Junggar tribe, Emperor Qianlong set up Yili General in Huiyuan City in the 27th year of Qianlong to take charge of Xinjiang's north and south affairs, thus strengthening the central government's rule over Xinjiang.
During the Qianlong period, wars between the Qing court and neighboring countries also occurred from time to time.After Emperor Qianlong quelled the rebellion in Jinchuan and Jinchuan, he ordered Agui to go to Yunnan to delineate the Sino-Myanmar border with Li Shiyao, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou.Because many rebels fled to Burma, Emperor Qianlong ordered them to renovate their war preparations and demand the rebels from Burma.Meng Bi, king of Burma, was very panicked when he heard the news, and immediately sent envoys to pay tribute, expressing his willingness to return the captives, and only asked to open the exchange market.Emperor Qianlong agreed to Burma's request, but the Burmese only returned half of the traitors.Emperor Qianlong sent envoys to take the blame. Meng Yun, the new Burmese king, was overwhelmed by China's military prestige, so he sent envoys to present a gold pagoda, 8 tame elephants, gemstones, fan felt and other things to ask for tribute, and sent all the traitors back.Emperor Qianlong was very happy, so he issued an imperial edict to make Meng Yun the king of Burma, and ordered Siam not to continue war with Burma.Since then, both Myanmar and Siam have surrendered to the Qing Dynasty and dare not start wars easily.
In August of the twenty-sixth year of Qianlong (AD 1791), the Gurkha invading army invaded Tibet, went deep into Shigatse, occupied the Tashilhunpo Monastery, and robbed all the gold and silver belongings left by the sixth Panchen Lama, as well as the treasures of magic instruments and treasures. Burning, killing and looting everywhere caused great disasters to Tibetan monks and lay people.After Emperor Qianlong heard the news, he sent Fukang'an as the general and Hailancha as the counselor, and sent troops into Tibet to meet the invading enemy.Wherever the Qing army went, they were supported and welcomed by the Tibetan people, and the Dalai Lama personally led monks and laymen to assist in the battle.The Qing army quickly drove the Gurkha invading army out of Tibet and across the Himalayas to Navakot, just 20 miles from Kathmandu.The Gurkha ruler sent envoys to seek peace, saying that he would never invade Tibet in the future and return the looted gold and silver treasures.Fukang'an asked Emperor Qianlong to give instructions, and Emperor Qianlong accepted Gurkha's truce conditions and ordered Fukang'an to withdraw his troops and return to Tibet.
Emperor Qianlong felt that the local government of Tibet was too rotten and unable to prevent foreign aggression, and that the administrative system also had many shortcomings, so he ordered Fukang'an, the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama to jointly formulate the regulations for the aftermath of Tibet. This is the famous "Imperial Tibet Regulations".It became the highest law enacted by the central government for the Tibetan local government.Qianlong also increased the power of the ministers stationed in Tibet, which was of great significance in preventing Tibetan serf-owners and aristocrats from splitting up.It also strengthened the relationship between the Central Plains and the Tibetan people, and strengthened the jurisdiction of the central government of the Qing Dynasty over Tibet.Emperor Qianlong was very happy to quickly repel the Gurkha's invasion and to properly resolve the Tibet issue. He specially conferred Fukang'an the title of Grand Master of the Hall of Martial Arts and Beizi.
Emperor Qianlong was very proud of his martial arts and wrote "Shiquan Wugong Ji" himself.In October of the fifty-seventh year of Qianlong, he ordered people to build a stele pavilion, which was inscribed on the stele in Manchu, Han, Mongolian, and Tibetan to show his martial arts.The so-called "Shiquan" refers to the two flats of Junggar, Dinghui, two large and small Jinchuan, Jingtai, Burma and Annan, and two Gorkhas. The total is ten.He called himself "the perfect old man" and engraved the "treasure of the perfect old man".Relying on the national power developed in the early Qing Dynasty, he conquered east and west, and made the Qing Dynasty's national power reach its peak during the Qianlong period.
When Qianlong paid attention to consolidating the relationship between the frontier and neighboring countries, he was also vigilant enough to the Western colonialists who had come to the East at this time and knocked on the door of China.
After Emperor Kangxi unified Taiwan, the Qing Dynasty opened four ports to trade with foreign countries, and the trade between China and foreign countries showed a prosperous state for a while.In the early years of Qianlong, more and more British merchants came to China for trade. They colluded with Chinese merchants and often did things that violated Chinese laws.On November 10, the 22nd year of Qianlong, because British businessman Hong Renhui "repeatedly violated the ban", Emperor Qianlong ordered foreign businessmen to only trade in Guangzhou, and to prohibit foreign businessmen from trading in Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Ningbo.Two years later, Emperor Qianlong ordered his ministers to formulate the "Regulations on Preventing Aliens", which is known in history as "Five Things to Prevent Aliens".Its general content is: foreign businessmen are prohibited from spending the winter in Guangzhou; foreign businessmen must accept the control and inspection of Chinese businessmen; foreign businessmen are prohibited from employing Chinese; foreign businessmen are not allowed to hire people to deliver information;At the same time, a guarantee system was established in Guangzhou. The guarantees were dispatched by the government, and all foreign personnel, ships, goods and tax payments were guaranteed by the guarantees.It is also stipulated that gold, silver, grains, silk and other things are not allowed to go abroad.The "closed door policy" of the Qing Dynasty, which is often referred to by later generations, mainly refers to these decrees and measures promulgated by Emperor Qianlong.
At that time, the British were in a dominant position in the trade with China, and the trade volume was also the largest. The disputes over debts owed by Chinese merchants to British merchants in Guangzhou continued to occur. Emperor Qianlong was quite annoyed and ordered the local officials in Guangdong to strictly control foreign merchants and Chinese merchants. .It is becoming more and more difficult for foreign businessmen to develop trade in China.In order to develop trade with China, Britain decided to send high-ranking envoys to China, which led to the famous event of Magorny's visit to China in history.
In the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong (AD 1793), in the name of Emperor Qianlong's birthday, the British king sent Magorny to China.This person has rich diplomatic experience, has been sent to Russia, and served as an officer in India.In order to show the high level of British civilization, the tributes were carefully selected, mainly astronomical, geographical instruments, clocks, images, military weapons, music, utensils, etc., a total of 19 pieces, worth 13,000 pounds.In order to show that Magorney's status is high, in addition to the two ships sent by the East India Company, another military ship was sent.Before leaving for China, the East India Company notified the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi in advance, and the governor played to Emperor Qianlong.When Emperor Qianlong heard that the British Empire had sent envoys to celebrate his birthday, he was full of joy and ordered the British envoys to enter Beijing for a pilgrimage from Tianjin.
Magorney and his party traveled from Guangzhou via Zhoushan to the sea in Dengzhou, Shandong.The local officials boarded the boat to greet him, and read the imperial decree of Emperor Qianlong to the British envoy.Because it was summer at this time, Emperor Qianlong was at the Chengde Mountain Resort, and Margarney said that he was willing to "go to the mountain resort to pay homage."
Magorny arrived in Rehe in early August, but had a lot of trouble with regard to the etiquette of the audience.Emperor Qianlong asked his ministers to guide the British envoys to perform the ritual of "kneeling three times and knocking nine times". Magorny refused to accept it because he thought it was not in line with British etiquette.For this reason, Emperor Qianlong was very unhappy, and asked his ministers to tell the British envoy that since he came to China, he must abide by Chinese laws and etiquette.Emperor Qianlong believed that the British envoy was "arrogant" and ordered to "reduce its supply completely". In fact, he was putting pressure on the British envoy, which indicated that the Hajj pilgrimage might die prematurely.Finally, a compromise was reached, and envoy Xu Ying knelt down to salute.
Official audience on the 10th day of the eighth lunar month.Magorney presented a letter to Emperor Qianlong and offered gifts.Emperor Qianlong also gave many gifts to the King of England in return, and also generously rewarded Magorny himself, and bestowed an imperial edict.Although Magorny has been in Rehe for more than a month, he has not expressed any business issues.After returning to Beijing, Magorney put forward six requirements in writing, the main content of which was to expand trade, increase the number of commercial ports, allow the British to live in Guangzhou, allow a small island to store goods, and allow missionaries to preach in various provinces.Emperor Qianlong replied to the British king's letter and flatly rejected the British request.In particular, when the British wanted to occupy Chinese islands, Emperor Qianlong even sternly proclaimed: "All the rulers and soils of the heavenly dynasty belong to the books, and the borders are dense. Even the islands and sandbars must be sealed off by the borders, and each has its own exclusive use." Emperor Qianlong Asked rhetorically in the edict, if other countries follow suit and want China to reward islands for people who live and sell, how can they all agree to their demands?
To the territorial claims of the British colonists, Emperor Qianlong made such a solemn answer, safeguarding China's sovereignty and dignity.Magorney felt hopeless, so he left Beijing on September 3 and returned to China, feeling quite resentful.
During the Qianlong period, in addition to the British sending envoys to China, many other Western countries also sent envoys to China.As early as the eighteenth year of Qianlong's reign, the Portuguese envoy Bacigue came to China.Emperor Qianlong treated the Portuguese envoys very favorably, and specially ordered that the supply along the route be "rich in quantity, as a sign of Huaiyuan".Emperor Qianlong also specially sent the doctor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the German Qin Tianjian Jianzheng to Guangzhou to welcome them.In the "Edict" that Emperor Qianlong replied to the King of Portugal, except for expressing friendly language, nothing related to trade was involved.
In the 60th year of Qianlong, the Netherlands sent Desheng as an envoy to China in the name of congratulating the 60th anniversary of Emperor Qianlong's Royal Pole.Emperor Qianlong believed that "this is a good thing", and specially ordered the local officials in Guangdong to send people to escort them along the way and take proper care of them.After the officials of the Military Aircraft Department inspected the gifts, they thought they were not valuable.Emperor Qianlong didn't care about it, and still rewarded it as usual, and also gave the envoy a handwritten "Fu" character.
Emperor Qianlong used troops on the frontiers and spread good news repeatedly, coupled with years of favorable weather and peace at home, he seemed to feel that he was an emperor of peace.Therefore, he indulged in pleasure and did a lot of romantic affairs.During the reign of Kangxi, a Changchun Garden was built, which was given to Emperor Yongzheng, who was still a vassal king at that time, and later expanded into Yuanmingyuan.After Emperor Yongzheng came to the throne, he greatly expanded the Old Summer Palace and added many towers and pavilions.Now it was Emperor Qianlong's turn. He allocated a large amount of silver in the treasury and ordered the Ministry of Industry to plan a large-scale expansion.At that time, a large number of skilled craftsmen gathered, and spent countless efforts to plant trees and flowers in some places, dig pools in some places, and stack stones in some places, all of which were decorated elegantly and uniquely.Qianlong also ordered the governors of all provinces to collect countless rare birds and flowers, ancient tripods and Yi, and display them in the garden for the royal staff to enjoy.After the garden was completed, Emperor Qianlong appointed the queen mother to play in the garden.He also issued an imperial decree, from the concubine down, all princesses, clan members, wives and close relatives are allowed to enter the garden to play.
It was spring, and the weather was sunny. One day, Emperor Qianlong was protecting the empress dowager, followed by the concubines and princesses. The people on both sides of the palace had already stood still, and all the women were dressed up in fancy dress.One of the wives had a duck egg face, curved eyebrows, a plump nose, two dimples on her pink cheeks, and a red flower on her temple, she was charming and charming.When Emperor Qianlong saw this beautiful woman, his mind was wandering, and he didn't know what to do.Because in front of everyone, it is inconvenient to ask in detail, so I just stare blankly.After a while, the queen came to the beautiful woman and called her "sister-in-law". Only then did Emperor Qianlong realize that the beautiful woman was the wife of Fu Heng, Minister of Internal Affairs.When wandering casually, Mrs. Fu followed the queen, and Emperor Qianlong looked back from time to time.Mrs. Fu also looked up at Yu Rong intentionally or unintentionally.After returning to the palace, Mrs. Fu's charming face often appeared in front of Emperor Qianlong's eyes, so he didn't even bother to deal with the government affairs, and he was listless all day long.
On the Queen's birthday, Emperor Qianlong's spirit suddenly cheered up, because Mrs. Fu was going to enter the palace to celebrate the Queen's birthday that day.On this day, a banquet was held in Kunning Palace to celebrate the Qianqiu Festival for the queen.Emperor Qianlong withdrew from the court early and went to the Kunning Palace for a banquet. He and Mrs. Fu had joint poems and wine.Since then, Mrs. Fu has often been called into the palace to accompany the queen to relax.After a long time, Mrs. Fu often stayed in the palace to rest.During this period, Emperor Qianlong secretly had fun with Mrs. Fu from time to time.Although some court ladies knew it in their hearts, they did not dare to speak out.
In order to have an affair with Mrs. Fu, Emperor Qianlong sent Fu Heng to the frontier many times to lead troops to fight.Later, Mrs. Fu gave birth to a son, who was carried into the palace at the full moon and asked Emperor Qianlong to give him a name.Emperor Qianlong saw that the child was fat and strong, and his face was very similar to his own, so he loved him very much and named him Fukang'an.Later, when Fukang'an was 8 years old, Emperor Qianlong asked him to study with the princes in the imperial study, and he was named Beizi when he was 12 years old.When he grew up, he was named a general, and he was ordered to go to war many times. During the Qianlong Dynasty, he was cared for by Emperor Qianlong in every possible way.
After a long time, the queen gradually realized the strangeness, but for the sake of face, and because Mrs. Fu was his sister-in-law, it was hard to tell the truth, so she had to swallow the bitterness in her stomach, and the son who was established as the prince and the other son He died one after another, and he was depressed all day long, and his face became haggard day by day.
Emperor Qianlong and Empress Fucha were originally very affectionate, but because of Mrs. Fu's affairs, the two diverged a little.In order to relieve the boredom of Empress Fucha, Emperor Qianlong ordered a tour to the east, paid homage to the Mausoleum of Confucius, offered sacrifices to Mount Tai, and visited many places of interest.Although the scenery is pleasant, Empress Fucha can't keep her spirits up. She can't forget her dead son from time to time, and she got some cold during the tour, so she couldn't afford to get sick.No matter how the accompanying imperial doctor used the medicine, the queen's condition never improved, but worsened day by day.Emperor Qianlong felt very anxious and ordered to return to Luan.Along the way, I went to some famous doctors in Shandong for diagnosis and treatment, but they were all ineffective.As soon as he arrived in Texas, the queen died.Emperor Qianlong felt very sad, and cried loudly while supporting the coffin.After returning to Beijing, he managed the funeral and was posthumously named Empress Xiaoxian.
Although the Fucha family is a queen, she is usually very frugal and never wears pearls and emeralds in her clothes.Most people in the harem have purses made of gold and silver thread, which she considers to be a luxury.The pouch she gave to Emperor Qianlong every year was only made of deerskin.Therefore, Emperor Qianlong respected the queen very much, and the reason why she was nicknamed "Xiaoxian" was to praise her virtuousness.
Due to the early death of Empress Xiaoxian, Emperor Qianlong treated the empress' mother's family with special kindness.The queen's brother was either a marquis or an uncle, and 14 members of the queen's family received titles.It has almost reached the point where "the kindness of my family is invincible".
Among the romantic stories about Emperor Qianlong, the most rumored one is Xiangfei.In the 23rd year of Qianlong (1758 A.D.), the Huo Jizhan brothers rebelled in southern Xinjiang, and Emperor Qianlong sent Zhaohui and others to suppress it.The rebellion was quelled the following year.Zhaohui captured Huo Jizhan's concubine Xiangfei.She was born with a strange fragrance, and she didn't need to apply makeup, and the fragrance was very striking, so people called her Xiangfei.Although there were many concubines in Emperor Qianlong's harem, none of them had this natural fragrance.After Zhaohui captured Concubine Xiang, in order to win Emperor Qianlong's favor, he immediately sent someone to secretly write a memorial.Emperor Qianlong was overjoyed upon hearing the news, and ordered Zhaohui to be sent to the capital as soon as possible.Because of the long journey, fearing that the long wind and frost trek would damage Xiangfei's appearance, he ordered Zhaohui to send a reliable person to escort him, and instructed the local officials along the way to arrange the accommodation and daily life of Xiangfei and her party.
After Xiangfei arrived in Beijing, the palace supervisor led her into the inner palace to meet Emperor Qianlong.Sure enough, the jade face was not close, and the fragrance came first. This fragrance was neither floral nor powdery, but a strange fragrance, refreshing.The palace supervisor asked her to salute in front of the throne, but she didn't pay any attention, her eyes were full of tears, which was very pitiful.Emperor Qianlong said that she grew up in a remote area and did not understand court etiquette, so he ordered her not to be demanding.According to Emperor Qianlong's wishes, the palace supervisor led Xiangfei to live in Xiyuan.Afterwards, she sent eloquent court ladies to persuade her many times, but Xiangfei either had a frosty face or just wept.Later, Concubine Xiang told the maid who came to persuade her that if the emperor forced her, she would commit suicide with a dagger.She even said that she didn't want to die in vain, even if she committed suicide, she would kill another person who was worthy of her ex-husband.
Emperor Qianlong himself would sit in Xiyuan from time to time, hoping that after a long time, her heart of missing her ex-husband would disappear.Whenever there is a festival, Xiangfei will cry secretly.Seeing this situation, Emperor Qianlong came back to discuss with Heshen. From now on, Concubine Xiang's diet and daily life will be completely in accordance with the traditional pattern of the Hui people, eating Hui-style vegetables and wearing Hui-style clothes, and another Hui woman will be sent to serve her well.According to the order of Emperor Qianlong, a Hui-style house was built for Xiangfei in Xiyuan, and a Muslim chapel was built in order to please Xiangfei.Sometimes, Emperor Qianlong also sent people to lead Xiangfei to play in beautiful places.It can be said that every conceivable method has been used.However, despite Emperor Qianlong's persuasion in every possible way, Concubine Xiang refused to give in.
When the Empress Dowager heard about this incident, she was afraid that Concubine Xiang would assassinate her son in the middle of the night, so she called Emperor Qianlong into the inner palace and said to him: "Since this concubine refuses to submit, you might as well kill her to fulfill your wish." She has her ambitions, otherwise, why not let her live in the palace?" Emperor Qianlong knew that Concubine Xiang could not be subdued, but he was reluctant to kill her, and he was unwilling to let her return to his hometown. .
After a few years like this, nothing happened. On the day of the winter solstice, Emperor Qianlong went to the Temple of Heaven to hold a great sacrifice on the Circular Mound, and the Empress Dowager took the opportunity to send someone to call Xiangfei into the Palace of Compassion.After Xiangfei entered the palace, the empress dowager ordered people to lock the gate, even if the emperor came, she was not allowed to enter.The Empress Dowager called Xiangfei to her and said, "You will never give in, so what are you going to do?" Xiangfei replied, "I only wish to die!" I will grant you death today, okay?" Concubine Xiang immediately knelt down and kowtowed and said, "The Empress Dowager has fulfilled my ambition, and her kindness is greater than heaven and earth." After saying that, tears streamed down her face.The empress dowager also felt very sad for a while, so she ordered people to lead Xiangfei into a nearby hut, and let Xiangfei hang herself to death.
At this time, Emperor Qianlong was holding a grand sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven, and suddenly he heard a report from his servants flying horses, saying that Concubine Xiang was locked in the Palace of Compassion by the Empress Dowager, and her life and death were unknown.Emperor Qianlong was shocked when he heard the news, and ordered him to rush back to the palace before the gift was finished.Because the palace gate was locked and unable to enter, Emperor Qianlong cried loudly outside the palace gate.Soon the palace gate opened, and the Empress Dowager ordered someone to lead Emperor Qianlong in. At this time, Concubine Xiang was already dead.But her complexion is still the same as when she was alive, and there seems to be a smile on her face.Emperor Qianlong was very sad when he saw this, and ordered people to prepare a coffin and bury him with concubine ceremony.
He Shen was the most powerful minister of Qianlong, and judging from the properties that were seized later, he was also the number one corrupt criminal in history.The reason why he can be arrogant and domineering is naturally because he is deeply favored by Emperor Qianlong.However, Qianlong was a very experienced and resolute emperor, how could he be unaware of Heshen's rape and corruption?What's more, even if Heshen's years as a minor bodyguard are not counted, Heshen has been in power for more than 20 years since he entered the center of power. It is impossible for Emperor Qianlong to be unaware.The strange thing is that Emperor Qianlong's love for Heshen has always been unfailing, and there must be deep reasons for it.
According to some unofficial historical records, it turns out that Emperor Yongzheng had a concubine who was very delicate and beautiful.At that time, Emperor Qianlong was a prince who was nearly 20 years old. Once he entered the palace for some business and passed by this concubine.The concubine was combing her hair in front of the mirror when Emperor Qianlong suddenly hugged her head from behind and covered her eyes with both hands.In fact, Emperor Qianlong was only joking with her, and he couldn't say that he had any evil intentions.The concubine didn't know it was Emperor Qianlong, panicked for a moment, and hit him backwards with a comb, hitting Emperor Qianlong's forehead, leaving a small scar.The next day, Emperor Qianlong went to the palace to see her mother.His mother, the empress of Emperor Yongzheng, saw a scar on his forehead and asked what happened. Emperor Qianlong hesitated to say anything, but couldn't stand the empress' repeated questioning, so he told what happened.The queen was furious when she heard this, and suspected that the concubine was molesting the prince, so she ordered the concubine to die.Emperor Qianlong was very panicked and wanted to admit that it was his fault and that he couldn't blame the concubine, but he didn't dare to speak out.After hesitating for a long time, I couldn't think of a good way.When he ran to the concubine's residence, the concubine had already hanged herself.Emperor Qianlong was very sad, and pressed the red seal on the concubine's neck with his fingers, and said silently: "I have harmed you. If you have a soul, come and meet me again in 20 years." residence.
In the mid-Qianlong period, Heshen, who was born in Zhenghongqi, Manchuria, worked as a servant in Luanyiwei, that is, he carried the sedan chair for Emperor Qianlong, and his status was very low.One day, Emperor Qianlong went to the Old Summer Palace to hang out. At first, the weather was a bit cloudy and didn't feel hot.But at noon, the clouds opened and the sun rose, and the sun was everywhere, and it suddenly became hot, but the yellow cover could not be found in a hurry.Qianlong was very angry.At this moment, someone immediately presented the yellow cover.As soon as Qianlong saw that he was a beautiful young man, he asked, "Who are you?" I've seen it somewhere, but can't remember for a while.After returning to the palace, I have been thinking about this matter.It suddenly occurred to him that He Shen's appearance was similar to that concubine's.So, he secretly summoned He Shen to enter the palace, made Ling kneel in front of him, and looked at it repeatedly, and it was indeed similar.Looking at He Shen's neck, there is also a mole, like a finger mark.这时，乾隆帝便认定和珅是那妃子的后身，倍加怜爱。经询问，知道和珅颇通文墨，于是立即提升他为宫中总管。
和珅骤升要职，自然十分感激，侍奉乾隆帝十分尽心。乾隆帝常令他跟在身边，有问必答，句句称旨，乾隆帝心里也格外高兴。和珅日受宠任，乾隆帝似乎片刻少他不得，乾隆帝似乎感到，对和珅宠爱一分，就能减轻一分自己对那位妃子的负罪感。原来，身为皇帝的乾隆帝信奉佛教，很迷信佛家生死轮回的学说。他觉得既然和珅是那妃子后身，那么在和珅身上多施恩德，就等于是对那妃子的报答。在这种心理的支配下，乾隆听任和珅直步青云，为所欲为。
和珅本来只是一侍卫，乾隆帝不久就把他提为户部侍郎。和珅口齿伶俐，办事干练，处处合乾隆帝的意，只是贪墨成性，要他去掌管户部，侵渔货财十分方便，所以不久就遭到御史们的弹劾。你一本，我一本，说和珅如何贪赃，如何欺君，但乾隆帝全当成耳边风。乾隆帝甚至还对和珅说：“你我是一家人，你喜欢多要几个钱，也无妨，那些御史们说，就让他们说去。”得了乾隆帝这话，和珅的胆子就更大了。外廷臣僚见和珅被参劾不但毫发无损，反而和皇帝越发亲热，甚至晚上还陪乾隆帝在御书房睡觉，也就没人敢弹劾他了。
和珅很快被提升为军机大臣，在乾隆后期执政达20余年，累官至文华殿大学士，封一等公。和珅的弟弟和琳也迅速飞黄腾达，由一个生员升为兵部侍郎，不久又升为工部尚书，乾隆末年还曾代福康安为主帅。在外人眼中，和珅一家与乾隆皇帝简直就是一家人，由此谁还敢再对他们说半个不字。
乾隆帝无论到哪里去，总要把和珅带在身边。后来，乾隆帝把自己的第十个女儿和孝公主嫁给和珅的儿子丰绅殷德。和孝公主最受乾隆帝喜爱，乾隆帝出猎或微行时，常把和孝公主带上。和孝公主好穿男子的服装，骑马射箭也是好样的，又伶牙俐齿，遇到乾隆帝有什么烦恼事，她三言两语就使乾隆帝转愁为喜。乾隆帝把自己最喜爱的女儿嫁到和珅家，使和珅更加有恃无恐。有一次他们同行市中，衣铺中挂着一件大红呢夹衣，和孝公主很喜欢，说了一句好，和珅便立即买了下来，花了28两银子，双手捧给和孝公主。乾隆帝微微一笑说：“你又要大人破费了。”和孝公主高兴，和珅比皇上还高兴。
和珅与乾隆帝做了儿女亲家，更加横行无忌。朝中大臣，多是和珅党羽。他家中的积蓄，比皇帝家里还多。他的一些家奴在京师横冲直撞，无人敢惹。有一个叫刘全的家奴，仗着和珅的威势四处勒索，家资万贯。御史曹锡宝上了一本，未敢直接弹劾和珅，只是弹劾他的这个家奴。乾隆帝命廷臣勘查，廷臣怕得罪和珅，也不仔细查问，就说曹锡宝风闻无据，反而加给他一个妄言的罪名。象和珅的一个家奴都参劾不倒，谁还敢对和珅怎么样呢！
直到乾隆晚年，和珅一直受宠不衰。乾隆六十年（公元1795年），乾隆帝要禅位给嘉亲王颙琰，这使和珅吃了一惊。他极力劝阻说：“内禅的大礼，前史上虽有所闻，但也并没有多少荣誉。现在皇上精神矍铄，身体康健，再过上一二十年禅位不迟。皇上多在位一日，百姓也多感戴一天，我等奴才也愿皇上永远庇护。”话说得面面俱到，十分恳切。以前，和珅怎么说，乾隆帝便怎么行，但这次却坚执不从。乾隆帝对他说：“我这次决心已定，不用再多说了。我和你有缘分，所以能这样长久相处。如果换别的人，恐怕就不许你这样了。以后你检点一些为好。”在乾隆帝当太上皇的4年间，嘉庆未处治和珅。等乾隆帝一死，嘉庆帝立即将和珅抄家，和珅被赐死，被抄家产达8亿多两白银，包括嘉庆帝在内，朝野上下无不吃惊。所以当时流行一句谚语说：“和珅跌倒，嘉庆吃饱。”
乾隆帝在这时也搞文字狱，但他更多的是对汉族知识分子采取一系列笼络的政策。其中主要手段之一就是编书。一是开“三通馆”，编纂了大型的典志书《续通典》、《续通志》、《续文献通考》。二是开“四库全书馆”，历时15年，编成了我国历史上最大的一部丛书——《四库全书》。集中了当时大批名流学者，其中最著名的有纪昀、于敏中、王念孙等。《四库全书》在我国文化史上占有很重要的地位，保存下来许多有价值的典籍。后人在利用这套大型图书时，自然会联想到乾隆帝对中国文化的贡献。但是，乾隆帝也正是在编这套图书的同时，对中国古代文化典籍进行了一次大规模的清查和销毁。
据记载，经他批准销毁的书籍将近3000余种，6.7万卷以上，种数几与四库全书相当。像顾炎武、黄宗羲、黄道周、张煌言等人的著作都在违禁之列。
乾隆帝把大批著名文人集中到京师，与他们中间的某些人来往密切。作为二十四史之一的《明史》，经康熙、雍正两朝的编纂，乾隆初年已基本完成。在刊印时，乾隆帝常亲自校勘。明史馆的人员便故意在明显处错写几字，待乾隆帝去改正。乾隆帝也为自己校出错字而高兴。但是，经他一过目，就成为“钦定”，其中有些故意写错的字未被校正过来，只好将错就错。现在《明史》清宫刻本常有错字，原因就在这里。
乾隆通过编书一方面密切了与知识分子的往来，笼络了一批知名文人，另一方面又使他们穷经皓首，整日埋头于古纸堆中，无暇顾及政治，从而达到了一箭双雕的目的。
乾隆帝在位的60年间，无论文治还是武功，都有数端功绩可述，况且其在位时间之长古来罕见，他对此十分得意。乾隆四十五年（公元1780年），他70岁高龄，自称“古稀老人”，并镌刻了“古稀天子之宝”。又因五世同居，所以又刻了“五福五代堂古稀天子宝”。乾隆五十年，为庆祝自己御极50周年，特在宫廷举办“千叟宴”，特邀请朝野1000名年过古稀的人入宴，以粉饰升平。当他80岁高龄时，又镌刻了“八徵耄念之宝”。他自称在中国历代帝王中，自己的年岁之高，在位时间之长，为自古以来所未有。到乾隆末年，中国人口达到了3亿多，这也是中国自古以来所未有。乾隆帝感到，这正是在他统治下中国进入了太平盛世的表现。
乾隆六十年，有一天乾隆帝把诸王大臣召入内廷，说自己准备把皇位传给太子，自己称太上皇。各位大臣极力劝阻。乾隆帝执意不允，为此专颁谕旨，说明自己决心要禅位的原因：“我25岁即位，当时曾对天发誓，如能在位60年，就将传位给嗣子，不敢与皇祖61年的在位年数相同。现在初愿已偿，怎么还敢再生奢望呢？现立皇十五子颙琰为皇太子，命他嗣位。我自应随时训政，不劳你等忧虑。”遂确定明年为嘉庆元年，命礼部制定禅位大典。因内禅为创例，清代未实行过，礼部只有参酌古制，定得冠冕堂皇，乾隆帝立批照行。
嘉庆元年的第一天举行内禅大典，乾隆帝在太和殿亲自将御玺授予嘉庆帝。诸臣先恭贺太上皇乾隆帝后，太上皇还宫。嘉庆帝遂登帝位，接受众臣朝贺，颁行太上皇传位诏书，普免全国钱粮，并下诏大赦。
乾隆帝退位后称太上皇4年。嘉庆帝每遇有军国重事，都要亲到内廷请乾隆帝裁决。当时，由于社会矛盾激化，以湖北、四川为中心，爆发了全国性的白莲教大起义。乾隆帝留下来的实际上是一个掏空了的烂摊子。嘉庆四年（公元1799年），乾隆帝寿终正寝，享年89岁。谥“纯皇帝”，庙号“高宗”。