Chapter 9 Chapter Eight: The Prosperity of Qianlong

The Qing Dynasty reached its heyday through Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong.Emperor Qianlong, named Hongli, ascended the throne at the age of 25 and reigned for 60 years. He was the Supreme Emperor for four years and died at the age of 89. He is the oldest emperor in Chinese history and the longest actual ruling time in Chinese history. the emperor.At the same time, he is one of the emperors with the most folk rumors, the most interpretations in works, and the most doubtful records in official documents. Among the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty, only two were born with unknown places: one is Qing Taizu Nurhachi; the other is Emperor Qianlong Hongli.Nurhachi was not born in the Qing Dynasty, and he was not a prominent figure at that time. Therefore, it is understandable that there is no clear written record of his birthplace.But Qianlong was different. He was the fourth son of Yongzheng. He was born on August 13th in the 50th year of Kangxi (1711). How could his place of birth be uncertain?So people thought that there must be something strange in it.

Regarding Qianlong's birthplace, his parents did not leave a clear statement, but Qianlong himself repeatedly stated that he was born in Lama Temple.On the seventh day of the first lunar month in the forty-seventh year of Qianlong (1782), Qianlong wrote a poem note on "People's Day Lama Temple Tribute", saying: "Yu Shi Kangxi Xinmao was born in this palace." However, when Qianlong was still in power, some people made different comments about his birthplace, thinking that he was born in Chengde Mountain Resort.At that time, there was an official named Guan Shiming, who was born in Wujin, Jiangsu Province. He was a Jinshi in the 40th year of Qianlong (1775).He went with Qianlong's family to the Summer Resort and Mulan Paddock, and wrote "Thirty-Four Poems of Hu Biqiu's Chronicles", the fourth of which concerns the birthplace of Emperor Qianlong:

Qing Shanxiang opened the Huazhu rainbow, and when he was born, he still remembered the old palace. Every year I taboo the sun to go to the incense, and I feel holy mourning by the Lion Garden. Guan Shiming has an original note at the back of this poem, saying: "The Lion Garden is the place where the emperor was born, and he often stays here on the anniversary of the death of the Xian Temple." The Lion Garden is a garden outside the Chengde Mountain Resort. , Yongzheng often accompanied him as the prince, and the Lion Garden was the residence of Prince Yong's family in Rehe at that time.

Whether Emperor Qianlong was born in Beijing Lama Temple or Chengde Mountain Resort is still a historical mystery. If it is an ordinary person, where is his birthplace? It may have an impact on the family, but on the nation, the country It doesn't make sense.However, Emperor Qianlong was different. His birthplace was closely related to who his biological mother was. Why do people care about who Qianlong's biological mother was?Because whether Qianlong's mother was "born in a famous family" or "be born in a humble family" will directly affect Qianlong's throne and career.If Qianlong's mother was Han, more complicated political issues would be involved.

Qianlong's biological mother is recorded in the official history as "the former fourth-rank ceremonial official, and the first-class Chengen Gong Lingzhu daughter".There are many kinds of unofficial legends: The first legend is the wife of Chen Shiguan in Haining, Zhejiang.Chen Shiguan, commonly known as Chen Gelao, entered the court as an official during the Kangxi period.It is said that Chen Shiguan and Prince Yong's family often come and go. Today, Chen Gelao's old house still has a Kowloon plaque, which is said to be written by Yongzheng himself.That year, it happened that Prince Yong's Fujin and Mrs. Chen Gel's wife gave birth to their children on the same month and the same day. Prince Yong asked the Chen family to take the child into the palace to have a look. However, when the child came out again, the Chen family's boy turned into a After marrying a girl, Mr. Chen Ge realized that the matter was life and death, so he dared not make a sound. The boy who changed into the palace was the later Emperor Qianlong.

The second legend is Niu Hulu's family.Niu Hulu was a woman from Chengde. She came to the capital at the age of thirteen, and happened to be elected to the palace. Because she was handsome and handsome, she was selected and assigned to Prince Yong's mansion. When Prince Yong was ill, this girl served day and night for several months. Prince Yong recovered from illness, and she also became pregnant and gave birth to Qianlong. The third kind of legend is Li Guishi, a court lady of Rehe Han people.It is said that when Yongzheng was Prince Yong, he was hunting in Rehe one autumn and shot a sika deer. Yongzheng drank deer blood, which strengthened his yang, and Yongzheng drank impatience. Fortunately, an ugly Han court lady surnamed Li.In the second year, Kangxi and his son went to the villa again. Hearing that the daughter of the Li family was pregnant with "Dragon Seed" and was about to give birth, Kangxi was angry and asked, "Who is the one who planted the jade?" Yongzheng admitted that he did it himself.Kangxi was afraid that his family's ugliness would be publicized, so he sent someone to take her to the hut. The ugly girl gave birth to a boy in the hut. This was later Qianlong. As a result, Qianlong's mother became Niu Hulu's family.

Although the above legends are unreliable, there are indeed doubts about Qianlong’s biological mother in documents and files. The Qing palace archives “Yongzheng Dynasty Chinese Edict Collection” recorded on February 14, the first year of Yongzheng (1723): On February 14th, the first year of Yongzheng, a decree was issued: to honor the decree of the Empress Dowager, the Mother of God, to confer the honorary concubine of the Nian clan of the Jin Dynasty, the concubine Qi of the Li clan of the Jin Dynasty, the concubine Xi of the Gege Qian clan, and the concubine Yu of the Gege Song clan. The ministry knew that Gege Geng was granted the title of mao concubine.

The same incident is recorded in Jiazi in February of the first year of Yongzheng (1723) in "Records of the Emperor Taizong of the Qing Dynasty": Ministry of Rites: According to the decree of the Queen Mother, the Holy Mother, the side concubine Nian was named Noble Concubine; the side concubine Li was named Qi Concubine; Gege Niu Hulu was named Xi Concubine; Gege Song was named Yu Concubine; Gege Geng Shi, named Maopin, Erbu inspected the case and played. The discrepancy between these two records also makes people suspicious.The contradictions in the records of Yongzheng archives and Yongzheng Shilu about Xi concubine Qian and Niu Hulu have not been satisfactorily resolved so far.Not only that, but even Qianlong's empress and concubine had many things that could be called "mysterious cases".

In Qianlong's harem, there were 29 people in total: three empresses, five imperial concubines, five imperial concubines, seven concubines, six concubines, and three nobles. Here we will only talk about the death of the two empresses and the concubine Xiang. 1. The death of the First Empress Fucha In the fifth year of Yongzheng (1727), the Fucha family was canonized as the heir Fujin of Prince Bao Hongli. This year Qianlong was seventeen years old and the Fucha family was fifteen years old.In the second year of Qianlong's reign (1737), the Fucha clan of Fujin was conferred the title of empress.Empress Fucha is virtuous, frugal, not extravagant, filial to the Queen Mother, and loves Qianlong.In the first month of the thirteenth year of Qianlong (1748), Empress Fucha accompanied Emperor Qianlong and the Empress Dowager on an eastward tour to Qufu, Shandong to worship Confucius.On March 11, he died on a boat in Dezhou on the way back to Beijing at the age of thirty-seven.

Regarding the death of the Fucha family, there are unofficial records: On the night of March 11th, Qianlong traveled east to Luan, stationed in Dezhou, and had a banquet in the boat.Cai Dongfan's "Romance of Qing History" said that Mrs. Fu Heng (that is, the queen's younger brother and sister) came to celebrate the queen's birthday during the Queen's Qianqiu Festival. After drinking, Qianlong had an affair with Mrs. Fu Heng and was discovered by the queen, so they had a grudge with Qianlong, so there was Qianlong Thirteen Years Going out on patrol, accompanied by the queen, died on the boat.

Furthermore, the mystery of the life experience of Fu Kang'an, the son of Fu Heng, arose. People suspected that Fu Kang'an was born to Qianlong and Mrs. Fu Heng.Gao Yang, a well-known Taiwanese writer of historical novels, believes that Fukang'an's fortune was unparalleled in the three hundred years of the Qing Dynasty, but he was not recruited as Efu (and his two brothers were both Efu).Therefore, "the reason for this is to think deeply." 2. The death of the second queen Ulanara When Qianlong was the prince, Ulanara was conferred the title of side Fujin.After Fucha's death, she was promoted from noble concubine to imperial concubine, and then canonized as empress.At the beginning of the 30th year of Qianlong (1765), Ulanara accompanied the Queen Mother and Qianlong to the south of the Yangtze River for the fourth time. On the way, the Queen passed her forty-eighth birthday, and something went wrong. Cai Dongfan said in "The Romance of the History of the Qing Dynasty" that Qianlong embraced prostitutes on the Qinhuai River in Jinling and drank in a boat.In the second year, the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766), Ulanara died in the cold palace on July 14. This matter, the records of the Qing palace archives are: On the 18th day of the second lunar month, when the queen had breakfast in the palace, she was rewarded by the emperor.When it was time for dinner, the queen disappeared. Her name was stamped with a yellow sticker. Where did the queen go?Some people said that she went crazy and became a nun in Hangzhou, while others said that she was sent back to the capital first.It is recorded in the "Yuan File" of the Qing Palace: On the 28th day of the second lunar month, Qianlong sent a surrogate Fulong to protect the empress Ulanala and go home by water.So why was the Queen sent home? "Qing History Draft Biography of Concubine" records: In the 30th year of Qianlong (1765), the Ulanala family followed the emperor on a southern tour. After arriving in Hangzhou, he disobeyed the emperor's will and then cut off his hair.Qianlong was even more unhappy, and ordered the queen to return the capital first.In the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766), Jiazi, the queen passed away.When the news of the queen's death came, Emperor Qianlong was hunting in the Mulan paddock, but he did not stop hunting. He only ordered the queen's son to return to Beijing for the funeral. 3. The Mystery of the Fragrant Concubine There are two main versions of the legend about Concubine Xiang: The first version is the tragedy of Xiangfei.Concubine Xiang was taken captive into the palace during the reign of Emperor Qianlong when Huibu and Zhuomu rebelled.Qianlong was conferred the title of Fragrant Concubine because of her beauty and unique fragrance, and greatly favored her.But Concubine Xiang was determined to keep the chastity, and hid a knife with her, ready to kill the emperor for revenge.When the empress dowager heard the news, she called her concubine into the palace, gave her death, and was buried in the Eastern Tomb of the Qing Dynasty.Most of the current film and television novels are of this version. The second version is Xiangfei Comedy Saying.Concubine Xiang was born with beauty and fragrance, and her family lived in Yarkand, southern Xinjiang. Her elder brother moved to Yili because of dissatisfaction with Huo Jizhan's tyranny.Xiangfei's elder brother turned his heart to the Qing Dynasty in the rebellion against Huo Jizhan and made contributions.They were ordered to go to the capital, and later lived in Beijing for a long time.When Concubine Xiang entered the palace, she was loved by the Empress Dowager and favored by Emperor Qianlong, and lived a happy life.After the death of Concubine Xiang, Qianlong heard the news and was deeply saddened. Enzhun transported Concubine Xiang's bones back to Kashgar, Xinjiang for burial.Now in Kashgar, Xinjiang, there are also the tomb of Xiangfei and the wooden coffin of Xiangfei.This is the version circulated by the local Uighurs. However, whether there really was a Xiangfei in history is still a mystery.According to historical documents and archaeological excavations, there is only one Hui woman named "Concubine Rong", and there is no mention of her body having a strange fragrance. "Qing History Draft Biography of Empress Concubine" records: "Concubine Rong, He Zhuo, Huibu Taiji and Zhalai daughters. She entered the palace at the beginning, and she was named nobleman. Progressively became a concubine. Died." Concubine Rong's living and eating habits before her death, Qianlong fully complied with her Hui customs, arranged Hui chefs for Concubine Rong, cooked halal meals for her, and built Baoyue Tower for Concubine Rong (which is the Xinhuamen gatehouse in Zhongnanhai today) On the south of the building, "Huiziying" was built across the street to build a mosque. At that time, all the people outside the Eight Banners lived in the outer city, but Huiziying was close at hand, relying on Jiuzhong, which was the special treatment of Qianlong Aiwu and Wu. Standing upstairs, Concubine Rong could watch the opposite "Huiziying" and look into the distance. Pay homage to relieve the feelings of missing. On April 19th in the fifty-third year of Qianlong (1788), Concubine Rong died of illness at the age of fifty-five and was buried in Dongling of the Qing Dynasty.As for the name "Xiangfei", I don't know when it came up.According to local legend, the coffin of the concubine Xiangfei in Kashgar, Xinjiang was transported back from Beijing.Whether Xiangfei and Rongfei are one person or two people, the views of historians are still inconsistent. There are many things to say about Qianlong's family life, and many literary and artistic works have exaggerated this, and deduced many moving stories with twists and turns.At the same time, Qianlong was also a promising emperor, pushing the prosperity of Kangxi and Qianlong to its peak. During the Qianlong period, the Qing Dynasty reached its peak, and China's thousands-year-old autocratic dynasty also reached its peak, showing a scene of prosperity everywhere. During the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty, the largest area of ​​cultivated land in the country was 7.83 million hectares.In the thirty-first year of Qianlong (1766), according to incomplete statistics, the area of ​​cultivated land had already reached this figure.By the seventeenth year of Jiaqing (1802), another 777 million hectares had been added.In terms of population, in the last years of Shunzhi, the national population was less than 20 million people, while it reached 300 million people in the last years of Qianlong.National tax revenue, in the last years of Shunzhi, the state collected 21.5 million taels of silver and more than 6.4 million shi of grain; More than 1.3 million stones. In the early days, the main food producing areas were the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions in the southeast. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods, the situation of "cooking in Suhu (now Taihu Lake area) and the world is enough" has been replaced by the situation of "cooking in Huguang and the world is enough".In provinces such as Hunan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, and Hubei, the yield per mu can reach five or six shi or even seven shi.In the south of the Yangtze River, two-season rice has begun to be common. The Hebei and Tianjin regions in the north have also become lands of fish and rice.In the sparsely populated southern forest areas at the junction of Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Chu, as well as in the mountainous areas of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi provinces, tens of thousands of refugees entered to open up wasteland and grow grain. The overall grain production has greatly developed. As food production increased, so did the cultivation of cash crops.The Jiangsu, Song, and Ning areas in Jiangsu, and the Huzhou area in Zhejiang, are full of mulberry trees and lush greenery.Cotton was introduced to the south of the Yangtze River from Hainan Island during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, cotton fields were everywhere in the Yangtze River Delta, coastal areas, Meng County and Nei County in Henan, and Baoding in Hebei.Tobacco was planted in Jiangsu and Zhejiang during the Chongzhen period. In the late Kangxi period, it was widely planted in the north. During the Qianlong period, people began to smoke it widely. There are more than 4,000 workers in six tobacco shops in Jining City, Shandong Province. The increase in the production of food and economic crops has led to the development of handicrafts.There are 30,000 satin machines in Nanjing, and they are generally composed of 132 parts. The warp threads drawn generally reach more than 9,000, and even as many as 170,000,000.The silk fabrics in Hangzhou include silk brocade, velvet, damask, silk, gauze, silk, silk, silk and many other varieties; the cotton weaving in Songjiang also includes button cloth, thin cloth, flying cloth, shuttle cloth, twill cloth, medicine spotted cloth and purple flower cloth. There are many kinds of cloth and shearling blankets.In the ceramics industry, during the Qianlong period, Jingdezhen, the capital of porcelain, had a size of more than ten square kilometers, hundreds of thousands of craftsmen, and two to three hundred porcelain kilns.The division of labor in the kiln is also more refined, with 15 or 16 processes such as soil washing and billet casting, and the skills are more exquisite.In terms of mining, in the forty-eighth year of Qianlong (1783), there were thirteen sites (excluding those that were mined secretly). Yunnan produced more than 40,000 catties of copper every year; The furnace can tap iron twelve times a day and night, and each tap is more than 300 catties.The number of salt wells in Sichuan increased to 5,939 in the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), and to 8,307 in the 23rd year of Qianlong (1758), with a depth of tens of feet, or even Hundreds of feet, the division of labor in the salt factory is also more refined. The development of agriculture and handicrafts also promoted the development of commerce.During the Qianlong period, there appeared ticket dealers operating exchange, deposits, and credit, and these ticket dealers had huge funds.In addition, the richest merchants include salt merchants and peddlers.The funds monopolized by the merchants amounted to tens of millions of taels. The development of industry and commerce also promoted the prosperity of the city. The proverb "There is heaven above, and Suzhou and Hangzhou below" appeared during this period.At that time, the population of Suzhou City was no less than 500,000, and the population of the suburbs exceeded 1 million.Outside of Changmen, there are four to five hundred places in Tiefang; Panmen, Fengmen and other places are also lit by thousands of houses.In Nanjing, it also grew to 400,000 to 500,000 people during the Qianlong period. The Qinhuai River in the shadow of the lanterns, the sound of oars, singing and dancing, and tea taverns are full of joy.At that time, Guangzhou was already known as "Golden Mountain and Zhuhai, Southern Library of the Son of Heaven".Here, dozens of units have traded with foreign countries. In the fifty-seventh year of Qianlong (1792), the Qing Dynasty's trade with Western countries exceeded 2.4 million taels.During the Qianlong period, Wuxi, Zhenjiang and Hankou on the banks of the Yangtze River were known as "cloth docks", "silver docks" and "ship docks".At that time, Hankou had become the largest commodity distribution center in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.As for Beijing, it is even more of a national trade center. The "outer hall" outside Andingmen and the "inner hall" on the west bank of the Yuhe River in the city welcome and see off merchants from all over the country at any time. During the sixty years of Qianlong's reign, he did many things. The "Records of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty" that recorded his words and deeds alone amounted to 1,500 volumes. His main historical achievements can be summed up in eight aspects: 1. Compilation of cultural classics If Kangxi was a learning emperor and Yongzheng was a reforming emperor, then Qianlong was a cultural emperor.The main things Qianlong did in terms of cultural governance were: (1) Presided over the compilation of "Siku Quanshu" Since Emperor Qianlong succeeded to the throne, he often thought that due to the war in the late Ming Dynasty, many precious books were lost. Wouldn't it be a good merit to collect them?In this way, they can further win over a large number of intellectuals and fully demonstrate that they value the accumulation of culture. At the same time, they can also take the opportunity to review all the private collections and remove the content that is not conducive to the rule of the Qing Dynasty. It really kills two birds with one stone.So Qianlong issued an edict to amnesty Ji Yun, who was exiled to Xinjiang, and returned to Beijing from Xinjiang to be the editor-in-chief, and organized literati and scholars to start editing. Ji Yun, named Xiaolan, was a famous talented scholar in the Qing Dynasty. He was very talented, quick-witted, and good at joking, and was very popular with Qianlong.Because he was upright and did not follow others, he was repeatedly framed by the jealousy of He Shen and others, and suffered many ups and downs. However, because Emperor Qianlong appreciated him very much, he escaped danger many times.Codification began.Once Qianlong asked Ji Yun: "Ji Aiqing, what is the name of this book?" Ji Yun was extremely talented and quick-witted. When Qianlong asked him, he had already thought of a name, but he knew that Qianlong was erudite and talented in writing, so he didn't dare to answer rashly. Looking at the emperor's groaning and smiling expression, he seemed to gain something, so He bowed and replied: "Does the emperor want to hide all ancient books in the four libraries of classics, history, zi, and collection, and name them "Siku Quanshu"?" Qianlong said happily: "Exactly, the title of the book is "Siku Quanshu", and the place where you edited it is called 'Sikuguan'." Since then, under the leadership of editor-in-chief Ji Yun, more than 300 famous scholars including Dai Zhen, Qian Daxin, Zhao Yi, and Wang Mingsheng have started to work hard.They collected more than 20,000 kinds of ancient and modern books, and then screened them, destroying all those that were not conducive to the rule of the Qing Dynasty. According to incomplete statistics, as many as 3,000 kinds of books were destroyed during the compilation of "Siku Quanshu". After 20 years of joint efforts and serious work by Ji Yun and all Siku Library staff, this huge "Siku Quanshu" project was finally completed.The whole book has a total of 3,461 kinds of books, 79,309 volumes, and 6,275 volumes. A total of seven "Siku Quanshu" were copied, hidden in Wenyuan Pavilion in the Imperial Palace, Wenyuan Pavilion in Yuanmingyuan, Wenjin Pavilion in the Summer Resort, Wensu Pavilion in Shenyang, Wenlan Pavilion in Hangzhou, Wenzong Pavilion in Zhenjiang, and Wenzong Pavilion in Yangzhou. There are seven places including Wenhui Pavilion.This is a major contribution to future generations' research on the splendid and rich cultural heritage of ancient my country, but the negative impact of destroying so many books cannot be ignored. (2) Compiling the "Manchu Tripitaka" Qianlong ordered the translation of the Tripitaka from Chinese and Mongolian into Manchu, and Zhangjia Hutuktu was in charge of this matter, and required that each volume translated should be submitted to the court to wait for the ruling. This is a huge task. cultural project. (3) Organize "Old Archives Without Circles" "Old Documents Without Circles" (also known as "Old Documents in Manchu", "Original Documents in Old Manchu", "Old Manchurian Documents") is mainly written in Old Manchu without circles, and is the most original, systematic and detailed in existence. , the precious long volume of chronicle-style historical materials during the Taizu and Taizong periods of the Qing Dynasty.This document was formed before the Qing Dynasty entered the customs, and it has been more than a hundred years since the middle period of Qianlong. The characters are difficult to read, the paper is old and the handwriting is blurred. Qianlong ordered to sort out "Old Documents Without Circles", and recopied them in Old Manchu without circles and New Manchu with circles respectively. First, one copy was copied out of the grass, and then the original copy was copied out and kept in the cabinet, and another copy was copied out and kept in Shenyang Chong One in each of the Mo Pavilions, and one copied and stored in the study room, a total of seven. (4) Edict compiled "Eight Banners General Records", "Manchurian Origin and Development", "Imperial Manchurian God Worship Ceremony", etc. (5) Ordered to compile the "Imperial System Wuti Qing Wenjian", which is a fruitful result of multi-ethnic culture. (6) Pay attention to the cultural construction of the capital It is manifested in: firstly, the "Complete Map of the Capital" was compiled and drawn; secondly, Yu Minzhong was ordered to write "Old News under the Sun", a total of 160 volumes, which is a masterpiece of Beijing's historical documents; "History of the Palace", which describes the history, architecture, culture, and system of the palace. 2. Maintain and build the royal garden During the Qianlong period, the royal palace gardens were protected, repaired and built in Beijing and its surrounding areas, such as the Ningshou Palace and its gardens, the Temple of Heaven Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (replaced with blue glazed tiles), Qingyi Garden (the Summer Palace), Yuanmingyuan, Jingyi Garden (Xiangshan), Jingming Garden (Yuquan Mountain), Summer Resort and Outer Eight Temples, Mulan Paddock, etc. Among them, Qingyi Garden was changed from Weng Mountain to Longevity Mountain, and the Dabaoen Yanshou Temple (Paiyun Temple) was built on it, and the Buddha Xiangge.These royal gardens are pearls in the history of garden art, and most of them have become world cultural heritages. 3. Contribute poetry talent Emperor Qianlong was an extraordinary writer, linguist, calligrapher, poet and scholar. He was not only proficient in new Manchu, but also familiar with old Manchu. He was not only proficient in Chinese, but also understood Mongolian, Tibetan and Uighur. and other languages. Qianlong wrote a large number of poems and essays throughout his life, including 42,613 poems in total, while the works of more than 2,200 poets in the Tang Dynasty collected in "Quan Tang Zhuan" only had more than 48,000. There are "The Complete Works of Leshantang", "Yuzhi Poetry Collection" (five collections), "Yuzhi Poetry Remaining Collection" and other poetry collections; there are more than 1,350 articles, including "Yuzhi Wenchu ​​Collection", "Yuzhi Poetry Collection" and "Yuzhi Poems". Wen Er Ji", "Yu Zhi Wen San Ji", "Yu Zhi Wen Yu Ji" and other anthologies.Of course, some of these poems were written by others. 4. Exemption from the world's money and food According to statistics, in the 10th year of Qianlong (1745), 35th year (1770), 43rd year (1778), 55th year (1790) and the first year of Jiaqing (1796), there were five times of general exemption for one year in the whole country. For money and grain, Jiangnan Cao grain was exempted three times (one of which was 4 million shi), and a total of 200 million taels of silver was exempted, which was equivalent to the total income of the national treasury in five years.It should be pointed out that Qianlong's exemption of money and grain was carried out under the condition of social and economic prosperity.At that time, a minister raised objections and said: "National funds are well prepared, and when there is nothing wrong now, one year's money and food should not be exempted." In this regard, Qianlong thought: "The people are rich, which one is the king? If the court's favor is not applied to the people, where will it be applied?" Qianlong's thought is a kind of benevolent government and loving the people, especially his view that "the people are rich and the king is rich", which is worthy of people's deep thinking.Therefore, Qianlong's behavior was widely welcomed by the people, "on the day the edict is issued, all parties will dance together." 5. Unify Xinjiang Qianlong not only "chongwen", but also "xuanwu".One of its successes was the unification of Xinjiang.In northern Xinjiang, he pacified Junggar twice, brought back the Turghut tribe, and basically solved the northern Xinjiang issue.After the Qing army pacified northern Xinjiang, the Hui tribe nobles in southern Xinjiang tried to get rid of the Qing Dynasty and take control of their own side.For this reason, the Qing army and the Hui army fought fiercely in several important towns such as Kudong and Yaerqiang (Shache), and finally won and reunified southern Xinjiang. Qianlong practiced rule according to customs in southern Xinjiang, and established Aqimbo restraint, appointed by the Qing court.Counselors and other officials were also set up to be stationed in various cities to strengthen their jurisdiction.He also formulated the "Matters for Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Return" to reform the management system in southern Xinjiang.Qianlong set up Yili General in Xinjiang, implemented the military government system, built castles, stationed troops, set up Karen, patrolled the border, immigrated to the border, and carried out reclamation to strengthen the jurisdiction of Xinjiang. Qianlong pacified the Zhun and Hui ministries and unified Xinjiang, which not only strengthened the central government's control over the Western Regions, but also eradicated the disaster that threatened the capital and the Northwest, and maintained social stability in the Northwest, Mobei, Qinghai, and Tibet. 6. Perfect governance of Tibet Qianlong sent troops twice to defeat the invasion of Khalkha (now Nepal), and formulated the "Imperial Tibet Regulations", which stipulated: (1) Set up a minister stationed in Tibet to supervise the internal affairs of Tibet. (2) Garrison troops in Tibet, divided into front Tibet and rear Tibet. (3) After the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama passed away, under the personal supervision of the Minister in Tibet, the reincarnation of the reincarnated soul boy was determined by drawing lots from the golden penba vase.This is a creation of Qianlong.There were two "Golden Penba Bottles" established at that time, one was placed in Lama Temple, which has become a cultural relic now; the other was placed in Jokhang Temple, Tibet, and this bottle is still in use today. (4) Tibet's trade with neighboring countries must be registered. (5) All Tibetan currency is made of silver, with the words "Qianlong Treasure" cast on the front. The "Imperial Tibet Regulations" is an important document in the history of Tibet, marking the Qing Dynasty's comprehensive and effective jurisdiction over Tibet. 7. Building Zhejiang seawalls The original chai ponds and earth ponds in Zhejiang could not withstand the impact of sea tides.Qianlong ordered Yinliang to change the chaitang into a stone pond. He built a stone seawall of more than 4,000 feet, which strengthened the area's ability to resist the invasion of sea tides. 8. Unification of all ethnic groups in China On the basis of the achievements of his ancestors, Qianlong further consolidated and expanded China's territory, and maintained and strengthened the unity of China's multi-ethnic groups.The territory of China during the Qianlong period stretched from the sea in the east to Congling Mountains in the west, Zengmu Ansha in the south, the Outer Xing'an Mountains in the north, Balkhash Lake in the northwest, and Sakhalin Island in the northeast.The "Three Ancestors and Three Ancestors" of the Qing Dynasty—Taizu Nurhachi, Shizu Shunzhi, Shengzu Kangxi, Taizong Huangtaiji, Sejong Yongzheng, and Gaozong Qianlong made the greatest contribution to Chinese history by maintaining China's frontier territory and consolidating China's multi-ethnic country unity. Qianlong was able to carry forward the foundation of his ancestors and made achievements in martial arts and martial arts. He was indeed a promising king of his generation.What is particularly commendable is the "Zen position" decisions and actions he made during his lifetime. As early as the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778) on September 21st, Qianlong proclaimed: "The former emperor's imperial ancestors had 61 years of imperial administration, and I dare not compare them. , and my life is eighty-five years old, that is to say, I will pass on to the crown prince and return to the government to retire." This decree means that his grandfather, Emperor Kangxi, reigned for sixty-one years, and he dare not compare him. After sixty years, he should pass the throne to the prince. On the third day of September in the 60th year of Qianlong (1795), the 85-year-old Emperor Qianlong summoned the princes, grandsons, princes and ministers in the Qinzheng Hall of the Old Summer Palace, and announced that the fifteenth son of the emperor, Jiaqing Wang Yongyan, would be the crown prince. In the first year of Jiaqing, the government was handed over when it expired. On the first day of the first lunar month in the first year of Jiaqing (1796), a ceremony of inner Zen was held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.After that, Qianlong was regarded as the Supreme Emperor. After Qianlong took the Zen throne, he practiced politics for three years and two days. Later generations ridiculed Qianlong for abdicating the throne, but he did not retreat in practice.However, looking at the history of China's 2,000-year dynasties since Qin Shihuang, there are very few former emperors and no later emperors who abdicated the government.Song Renzong's reserve position was established, and he was depressed; Song Yingzong burst into tears when he established the crown prince. Compared with these, Qianlong's abdication is still a bit detached. Qianlong has been in power for too long. Although he claims to "maintain profit and protect prosperity", he will lose money when the moon is full, and the prosperity will never come.In Qianlong's later years, he was full of arrogance, rigid thinking, lazy to make progress, made many mistakes, and accumulated serious social conflicts. However, the western world outside had undergone epoch-making changes.A huge crisis has been lurking under the cloak of Qianlong's prosperity. 1. Great changes in the Western world during the Qianlong period During the Qianlong era, three major events took place in the world: (1) The British Industrial Revolution.In the 30th year of Qianlong (1765), Hargreaves, a British textile worker, invented a new type of spinning wheel and Jenny spinning machine;Then, in the tenth year of Jiaqing (1807), Fulton of the United States invented the ship; in the nineteenth year of Jiaqing (1814), Stephenson of the United Kingdom invented the steam locomotive.That is to say, a new productivity revolution has taken place in the West, which is called the Industrial Revolution in history. (2) The establishment of the United States of America.In the thirty-ninth year of Qianlong (1774), the War of Independence broke out in North America; in the forty-eighth year of Qianlong (1783), the North American War of Independence was won; Four years (1789), Washington became the first president of the United States, and two years later, the United States passed the "Bill of Rights". (3) French bourgeois revolution.In the fifty-fourth year of Qianlong (1789), France held a three-level conference, the bourgeois revolution broke out, and the Declaration of Human Rights was issued; in the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong (1793), King Louis XVI of France was executed. The above three major events, together with the previous British bourgeois revolution, have epoch-making significance. They are the birth of new human productivity and new social and political systems, which have changed the political structure of the entire world and greatly affected the course of world history. . In addition, there were some remarkable events in the world at that time: in the 20th year of Qianlong (1755), Moscow University was established in Russia; in the 45th year of Qianlong (1780), the American Academy of Sciences was established in Boston; In 1784, Columbia University was established; in the same year, the first female doctor of medicine appeared in Germany.All of these make the dawn of a new human civilization shine in the sky. At this time, Qianlong was intoxicated by the sunset glory of the ancient Chinese civilization.In the 60th year of Qianlong (1795) examination, the provinces reported 116 people over the age of 80 to participate in the examination, and 92 people actually participated in the examination and completed three rounds. Qianlong was very happy to hear this. Rewarding these old people who participated in the examination, Qianlong is whitewashing his peaceful and prosperous life in the name of Xingjiao respecting the old. Qianlong's obliviousness to the great progress of Western industrial technology and the trend of world development was more prominently manifested in his visit to China when he received the British envoy Macartney. 2. British Ambassador Macartney's visit to China In the middle of the 18th century, Britain entered the period of the industrial revolution. As the steam engine was widely used in the field of production, it gradually replaced traditional manual labor and made social productivity develop by leaps and bounds.In order to seek overseas sources of raw materials and commodity markets, the British government actively pursued a policy of foreign aggression and expansion.As a result, China, with its vast land, abundant resources and large population, became the target of British attention.But at this time, China has many restrictions on overseas trade, and there is only one foreign trade port in Guangzhou, which is far from meeting the needs of Western countries led by the United Kingdom for trade with China. In order to change this situation and expand trade with China, the British government sent envoy Kasse Carter to China in the fifty-second year of Qianlong (1787), but died of illness before arriving.In the fifty-seventh year of Qianlong (1792), the British government sent a higher-level mission to China. The plenipotentiary envoy was Lord Macartney, the British governor of Bangladesh with rich diplomatic experience.In the name of celebrating the birthday of the Chinese emperor, the mission departed from Portsmouth, England on the tenth day of August of this year, passed through the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, to the South China Sea, and then went northward from the coast of Zhejiang and Shandong. Arrive at Dagukou, Tianjin.The entourage included more than 700 people including deputy envoy Si Dangdong, military and technical personnel, and letters from the British king to Emperor Qianlong and various gifts, including astronomical telescopes, geographic surveying instruments, musical instruments, clocks, atlases, vehicles, etc. , weapons, ship models and various silk fabrics, worth more than 13,000 pounds in total. The Qing court began to attach great importance to the Macartney delegation's visit to China. Emperor Qianlong issued decrees many times for this purpose, ordering coastal provinces, such as the United Kingdom, to send officials to greet and reward ships when they transited and berthed.When Macartney and his party arrived in Tianjin, Governor Liang Kentang of Zhili made a special trip from Baoding to Tianjin to receive them.The British mission left for Beijing after a short break in Tianjin.After arriving in Beijing, some technicians were left to install the instruments in the Old Summer Palace and Da Nei, and the rest followed Macartney to Rehe (now Chengde, Hebei) Mountain Resort to meet Emperor Qianlong.At this time, the two sides had a fierce dispute over the etiquette issue when the mission visited Emperor Qianlong. In the past, when Western countries sent missions to Beijing, they often had disputes with the Chinese government over the etiquette of meeting the emperor, and even reached a deadlock because of this, resulting in the failure of the visit.During the visit of the British mission, the Qing government still regarded it as a low-civilized "barbarian state" and insisted that the members of the mission kowtow when they met Qianlong.At that time, Britain, which had become the "maritime hegemony" of the West, was also arrogant and arrogant.At the same time, imperial autocracy has declined in the West, and the concept of freedom and equality of human rights has become popular in the West. It is considered a symbol of ignorance to kneel down and kneel down to the autocratic emperor. Therefore, the British envoy rejected the request of the Qing government. .When the mission arrived in Rehe, the dispute was still unresolved. Emperor Qianlong was very dissatisfied with this, and even threatened to "reduce its supply completely".In the end, the two sides finally reached a compromise, and Macartney and others met Emperor Qianlong with the ceremony of seeing the king, kneeling on one knee, but omitting to kiss the hand. Qianlong finally received the mission in Wanshuyuan, a summer resort. Later, Macartney made a request from the British side to the Qing government, hoping that Qianlong would allow their envoys to stay in Beijing, set up foreign firms in Beijing, and hope that China would open up Tianjin and Ningbo. , Zhoushan, etc. were trade ports, allocated some places near Guangzhou for British businessmen to live in, and hoped that British goods could enjoy tax exemptions and tax reductions when they flowed through inland rivers from Guangzhou to Macau.Originally, this was something that could be negotiated, but for Qianlong, there was no possibility of any negotiation.In his letter titled "Edict to the King of England" written to the King of England, he said: "The land and land of the Chinese Empire belong to the books, and the territory is vast. Even islands and sand states must be demarcated and each has its own exclusive use." Outsiders and others set up a loan bank in Beijing." "This is inconsistent with the legal system of the Celestial Dynasty, and it is definitely not feasible." 这几句话，至今还有人认为充满了爱国主义的大义凛然，与以后清廷签订的卖国条约不可同日而语，但事实上它们之间存在着必然的逻辑联系。 本来，康熙早在1684年就已经开放了海禁，在广东、福建、浙江、江苏分设四个海关欢迎外商来贸易。过了七十多年，乾隆反而关闭其他海关只许外商在广州贸易，外商在广州也有许多可笑的限制，例如不准学说中国话、买中国书，不许坐轿，更不许把妇女带来等等。康熙向传教士学习西方自然科学，关系不错，而乾隆却把天主教给禁了。自高自大，无视外部世界，满脑子天朝意识。当初雍正、乾隆是如此反感孔子儒家的“华夷有别”、“尊王攘夷”等民族偏见意识，现在这些观念都化为了乾隆的骨髓，乾隆王朝表面繁荣的外衣下，内部已经开始腐烂了。 马戛尔尼使团走了，他们要求与清政府建立外交和商业联系，扩大对华贸易的目的未能实现。但是，他却看穿了乾隆盛世虚华的外衣下，已经腐败衰弱的肌体，它就像一艘“破烂不堪的头等战舰”，虽然在体积和外表上强于邻船，可一旦由“没有才干的人在甲板上指挥，那就不会再有纪律和安全了”。 对一种落后文明的崇拜，使清王朝的大厦出现了凶兆。 乾隆承接祖、父们的基业，终于迎来了满清王朝的最大繁荣；而他的灵魂也完全被华夏古老的君主专制文明所同化、所陶醉，看不到外面新世界的滚滚潮流。乾隆盛世的外衣下潜伏着巨大的危机。