China knows everything for 5000 years

Chapter 61

During the Yongzheng period, the "literary prison" incident became more serious, and it can be said that the color of words has changed. In 1726, Zha Siting, an imperial examination examiner in Jiangxi Province, issued a test question "What the Weimin Stops".As soon as the test questions came out, someone informed Yongzheng that the test questions given by Zha Siting alluded to the emperor's beheading.Yongzheng was puzzled.The person explained that the character "Wei" is the character "Yong" with the head removed, and the character "Zhi" is the character "Zheng" with the head removed. "Yongzheng" is the emperor's year name, and if the head is removed, it becomes "Weizhi". Doesn't it mean that His Majesty will beheaded?Yongzheng immediately decreed that Zha Siting was escorted to Beijing, where he was imprisoned for questioning.Zha Siting said: "The test questions I gave are the words in "The Book of Songs Shang Song Xuan Niao": the country is thousands of miles away, and the people are limited. This is a tribute to the emperor's holiness, so why do you mean rebellion?" Yongzheng immediately He sent someone to find the "Book of Songs", and seeing that there really was a phrase "what the Uyghur people have done", he was at a loss for words, but he insisted that "what the Uyghur people did not stop" was an offense.Zha Siting was innocent and died in prison.Another time, Xu Jun, an imperial official, wrongly wrote the word "Your Majesty" as "Qi" in his memorial. Yongzheng saw him and dismissed Xu Jun immediately.Later, I sent people to check and found two lines of poems in Xu Jun's poetry collection: "Qingfeng is illiterate, why flip books?" He said that the word "Qingfeng" refers to the Qing Dynasty for no reason.As a result, Xu Jun committed the crime of slandering the court and gave away his life in vain.

During the Qianlong period, Hunan Xuezheng Hu Zhongzao wrote a sentence in "Jian Mo Sheng Poems", "On the turbid and clear with a single heart".After Qianlong died, he immediately refuted it in person, "with a heart to talk about turbidity and clearness", adding the word "turbidity" to the word "Qing" in the country name, what is the heart?He immediately decreed to have Hu Zhongzao beheaded.During the Qianlong Dynasty, more than 100 literary prison cases were launched, and banned books were destroyed wantonly.The literati born in the Qing Dynasty really want to cry but have no tears!
●Yongzheng died suddenly in the Old Summer Palace
Since the beginning of 1735 AD, Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty lived in Yuanmingyuan most of the time.

On August 22 of that year, Yongzheng still summoned the Minister of Military Affairs to discuss state affairs.The next day, Yongzheng felt unwell. On the night of the 23nd, Yongzheng's condition suddenly worsened. He felt that his time had come, so he hurriedly ordered Prince Bao Hongli (that is, Emperor Qianlong) to be the successor, Prince Zhuang Yunlu, Prince Guo Yunli, and Grand Scholar Er Tai and Zhang Tingyu are assistants in the administration.On August 58, Yongzheng died suddenly in Yuanmingyuan at the age of [-]. He was later posthumously Emperor Xian with the temple name Sejong.

Emperor Yongzheng died suddenly, and the cause of death is a mystery. It was only two days since he fell ill to his death, and he was still dealing with government affairs the day before his illness.There are three theories about his death: one is that he died of a stroke; the other is that he was stabbed by a swordsman and cut off his head;In September, the coffin of Yongzheng was placed in Lama Temple.In 1737 AD, he was buried in the Tailing Underground Palace in Yizhou.

●Emperor Qianlong went to Jiangnan
During Qianlong's reign, he especially liked to go on tours. From 1751 to 1784, Emperor Qianlong toured the south of the Yangtze River six times, which is known as Qianlong's visit to the south of the Yangtze River.

Qianlong went to the south of the Yangtze River, with a round trip of nearly 6000 miles each time, and the patrol team took more than a thousand ships of all sizes.They used 6000 horses, 400 mule carts, 800 camels, and nearly [-] laborers to carry the tents, utensils, utensils, and clothing they used.Wherever they visited, local civil and military officials not only greeted them in court uniforms, but also lavished extravagance.Practice palaces, set up colorful sheds, hold banquets, and present a large number of delicacies and local products.Even drinking water is taken from famous springs from far away, such as Jinan Pearl Spring in Shandong, Zhenjiang Jinshan Spring in Jiangsu, and Hupao Spring in Zhejiang.The bustling markets that the parade passed by were built with archways, colorful sheds, and incense pavilions.Pingshan Hall in Yangzhou originally had no plum blossoms, but salt merchants donated [-] plum blossoms to welcome Qianlong's first southern tour.There was no pagoda in the Great Rainbow Garden. When Qianlong was playing, he said: "This place is quite like the spring shade of Qiongdao in the North Sea, but it is a pity that there is no tower ear." Jiang Chun, a great salt merchant, bribed Qianlong's servant with ten thousand gold to get the pattern of the White Pagoda in Beihai. , so that the craftsmen imitated, "made overnight".

Qianlong went to Jiangnan six times and spent countless financial resources.It is this kind of extravagance and waste that empties the originally rich treasury and corrupts officials year by year.

●Turhu special department returns to the east
In 1628 AD, due to the internal disputes among the four Mongolian tribes of Erut, He Erleke, the leader of the Torghut tribe, was forced to lead his tribe to move westward.After more than two years of trekking, the Turghut tribe came to the sparsely populated lower reaches of the Volga River and settled down.But it didn't take long, and Tsarist Russia in the north gradually expanded its power to the south.Tsarist Russia forced them to serve as soldiers and not allow them to convert to Buddhism.But the Turghuts are not afraid of violence, and have been dealing with and fighting against them.During a military suppression by Tsarist Russia, the leader and Orlek died, which further aroused the national hatred of the Turghuts. They deeply missed the motherland and their desire to return to the motherland became stronger.While resisting Tsarist Russia, they kept in touch with the Junggar, Heshuote, and Zhangerbert tribes in Erut, and at the same time sent envoys to the Qing Dynasty to express their love for the motherland and their determination to return.

In order to get rid of national oppression, on January 1771, 1, the Torghut people raised the banner of an armed uprising against the Tsarist Russian government.In the early morning, an elite force led by Zaisang Sanjie Tsering first attacked the Russian Captain Dudin's barracks stationed in Wabashi Yazhang, and then divided the troops to attack Vetrianinsk and Mikins, which hindered their return eastward. Some villages and towns in Kyrgyzstan, Nikolayevka and other places.The uprising team abandoned all pots, stoves, food, copper coins, etc. that could not be taken away.Ubashi, the seventh-generation leader of the Torghut Department, set his own wooden palace on fire with his own hands.They shouted "Our children and grandchildren will never be slaves, let us go to the motherland where the sun rises".And embarked on the journey of thousands of miles to return to the motherland in three ways.Until the end of June, the Torghut Special Department took half a year, traveled more than 16 miles, went through all kinds of difficulties and dangers, lost all the livestock, and paid a huge sacrifice of halving the number of personnel, and finally returned to the embrace of the motherland.

Qianlong received Wu Baxi and others at the Chengde Mountain Resort, and placed them in the Junggar area of ​​Xinjiang to continue their nomadic life.

Macartney meets Qianlong
In 1793 AD, a British fleet headed by the "Lion" warship, led by Lord George Macartney, anchored at Zhukezhu Island in the Wanshan Islands outside Macau Harbor and waited to meet Emperor Qianlong.When Emperor Qianlong got the news, he immediately sent an imperial envoy to pick up the British mission to Beijing, and then went straight to Chengde Mountain Resort to attend the 82nd birthday celebration of Emperor Qianlong.

Macartney was received with the other Chinese vassals who were paying tribute, and behind the barefooted Burmese envoys with nose rings.The British brought many gifts, such as celestial orbiters, globes, warship models, guns and weapons, and a large set of atlases, representing the most advanced technology level in Britain at that time.However, after Qianlong visited these gifts, he smiled and said to the ministers: "These can be used as toys for children." Macartney handed over the credentials of King George III of England, but Qianlong was shocked by a man who pulled Macart He became interested in the little British kid in the back of his clothes, and he called the cute kid to him to talk to him.The child was Adams, the son of George Staunton, the British deputy envoy.Little Adams had already learned some Chinese, and Qianlong was very satisfied with his decent answer, so he untied the purse from his waist and gave it to him.

But when the British king's letter of credence was translated into Chinese, Qianlong knew that the original British request was to send someone to Beijing to establish equal diplomatic relations, so he immediately refused.Immediately, he replied to the King of England in the form of an edict issued by the emperor to the subjects of the world?A letter, to Macartney to bring back.

47 years later, Adams made a speech in the British House of Commons. With his support, the parliament decided to launch a war against China—the Opium War.

●China's No. [-] Corruption Heshen

He Shen, Niu Hulu family, Manchurian Zhenghongqi people.In 1769 A.D., He Shen, who was just 20 years old, inherited his father's position as the "third-class captain of light vehicles" and soon entered the palace as a servant.In 1772 AD, He Shen was promoted to third-class bodyguard.After three years of careful and unknown life as a "third-class guard", in 1775 AD, He Shen finally seized an accidental opportunity and was favored by Qianlong. He is better at trying to figure out Qianlong's mind, and his official position is promoted almost every year.Vice Dutong, Minister of the Household Department, Minister of the Interior, Minister of the Household Department, Minister of the Ministry of War, and Wenhuadian University, were promoted so quickly, which is rare in history!In 1780 AD, Qianlong betrothed his beloved tenth daughter, Princess Hexiao, to Heshen's eldest son, Fengshen Yinde. Since then, Heshen and Qianlong have become "in-laws" of their children, and Hejia has become a relative of the emperor.

He Shen is greedy by nature and good at collecting money.In order to expand his financial resources, he racked his brains and tried every means to exploit and search.Within a few years, he reversed the deficit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.Therefore, Qianlong felt more and more that He Shen was smart and capable, his right-hand assistant, and someone worthy of his trust.Under the banner of the emperor, He Shen tried his best to collect and collect money, and of course he also tried his best to embezzle and accept bribes.When Heshen was in power, he was so imposing and arrogant, he thought he had Qianlong's backing as a protective umbrella, so he would do evil.The treasures that the Quartet pays tribute to Qianlong every year are all selected by Heshen.The first-class ones will be kept by He Shen; the second-class ones will be sent to the palace.At that time, there were some in the palace, but Heshen's house had them; what was not in the palace, Heshen's house also had them.

After Emperor Jiaqing ascended the throne, He Shen often filled his pockets in the name of Emperor Qianlong, and still flaunted his might.In 1799 AD, He Shen was arrested and sent to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. Then his home was confiscated and he was confiscated.After inspection, He Shen's family property is unbelievably large. He has 50 mu of land, 80 million taels of sand gold, 200 gold ingots, and 1000 silver ingots, with a total value of no less than 1000 billion taels of silver. The sum of Ting's 12-year income is even more.There are countless other treasures such as jade jewelry, agate, porcelain, and Western odd wares, some of which are even better than those in the imperial palace.Therefore, there is a folk proverb that says: "Heshen fell, and Jiaqing was full."

Heshen embezzled so much money that it is no exaggeration to call him "China's No. [-] Corruption". In the history of the world, it can also be described as "the unprecedented and unprecedented No. [-] Corruption"!

●Lin Zexu sold cigarettes in Humen

Lin Zexu, styled Yuanfu and styled Shaomu, was born in a relatively poor intellectual family in Houguan, Fujian Province (now Fuzhou).He hated corrupt officials, was well aware of the dangers of opium, and advocated a strict prohibition of opium imports and opium smoking.

During the Qing Dynasty, Portugal, Britain, the United States and other countries imported opium to China for huge profits.By the 19s, the serious opium drug had been rampant, causing the outflow of silver, the emptiness of the treasury, the decline of the people's livelihood, the corruption of the army, the weakening of armaments, and the corruption of discipline.For the Qing court, whether to ban smoking or not has become a major issue related to the life and death of the country and the nation.In view of the serious situation of weak soldiers and exhausted wealth, Emperor Daoguang finally decided to ban smoking, and appointed Lin Zexu as imperial envoy in 30 to control the Guangdong navy and go to Guangzhou to ban opium.On the 1838th of the first lunar month of the following year, Lin Zexu arrived in Guangzhou.The next day, a vigorous anti-smoking campaign began.

After fully grasping the opium-related situation in Guangdong, Lin Zexu ordered the closure of all opium dens in Guangzhou, and issued a notice to foreign businessmen, ordering them to register all the opium on the barge within three days, and submit it to the official for inspection. The Ming Dynasty was destroyed, and it was declared that opium would never be carried in the future.In order to maintain the evil opium trade, the British aggressors tried to sabotage this just anti-smoking campaign under the planning of Charlie Elliot, the British commercial supervisor in China. Lin Zexu who was prepared smashed their plot.By the ninth day of April, Lin Zexu actually confiscated 21306 boxes of opium.Lin Zexu temporarily stored the seized opium at the entrance of Humen Town, and at the same time successively uncovered hundreds of cigarette trafficking activities of large and small tobacco dealers.Emperor Daoguang ordered Lin Zexu to sell cigarettes on the spot in Humen on April [-]th.Lin Zexu made full preparations for the complete destruction of opium. In the past, opium was burned with fire, and the oil of opium fell to the ground and penetrated into the soil. It could still be dug out and smelted into smoke paste. After investigation and visits, Lin Zexu decided to use lime and brine to destroy opium.

On April 22, with continuous rain and early sunshine, Humen Beach was solemn and lively.When Lin Zexu stepped onto the stage, he only heard the sound of a cannon, and the cigarette sales activity started amidst the rumbling cannon and cheers from the people.Soldiers poured loads of lime and bags of sea salt into the pool.Black opium rolled up and down in the pool, and thick white smoke rose slowly on Humen Beach.Soon, the boiling in the pool stopped, the smoke dissipated in the air, the culvert of the pool leading to the sea was opened, and the burned opium foam that filled the pool rushed into the vast sea.There was an endless stream of people who came to watch the cigarette sale, cheering and applauding.Lin Zexu sold cigarettes in Humen, which strengthened the prestige of our country, and his name will go down in history.The opium elimination campaign lasted for 23 days, and more than 230 million catties of opium were destroyed.

●The First Opium War

After Lin Zexu sold out opium in Humen, the news spread to Britain, which caused great shock to the British. They deeply felt that the benefits gained from exporting a large amount of opium to China were in danger of being lost.Therefore, the British government, which has always been dissatisfied with China's restrictions on British businessmen and has long threatened to use force to force China to open up, is determined to launch an aggressive war against China.

On July 28 of the year when Lin Zexu sold cigarettes in Humen, Elliot, the British commercial supervisor in China, led a warship to shoot at the Guangdong navy at the mouth of Jiulong.On the first day of the first winter month, Lin Zexu was ordered to stop Sino-British trade.On May 29 of the following year, British warships blocked the Pearl River Estuary in Guangzhou, and the Opium War officially broke out.Yilu and others saw that Guangzhou was well-prepared, so they led their troops northward.In June, the British army shelled Xiamen and was repulsed, and soon invaded Zhejiang.Since Dinghai, Zhejiang was unprepared, Yao Huaixiang, the magistrate, and Zhang Chaofa, the commander-in-chief, hurriedly arranged resistance, but Dinghai soon fell.In the twelfth lunar month, the British army captured Dajiao and Shajiao Forts in Guangdong.

At the beginning of 1841, after the British army occupied Hong Kong, Emperor Daoguang issued an edict to declare war on the British, and sent Yishan to lead the army to Guangzhou to fight against the British.In February, the British army captured Humen.In April, not long after the bombardment of Guangzhoukou, the British army captured Xiamen, Dinghai, Zhenhai, Ningbo and other cities one after another.In the spring of 1842 AD, the British army captured Wusong, Shanghai, and Zhenjiang, and pushed forward to Nanjing.Upon seeing this, Emperor Daoguang urgently sent imperial envoys Qiying and Yilibu to sign the unequal Treaty of Nanjing with British representative Pu Dingcha.The Opium War ended with China's defeat. Since then, China has been reduced to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country.

On October 1842, 10, China and Britain signed the Treaty of Nanjing.There are 2 articles in the treaty, the main contents are as follows: the Qing court opened Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo, and Shanghai as treaty ports; the Qing court paid 13 million taels of silver to Britain; Export tariffs need to be negotiated between the Chinese side and the British side.

The conclusion of the "Nanjing Treaty" created a bad example of "legalization" of capitalist countries' plundering of China, which destroyed China's territorial sovereignty and China's feudal natural economy began to disintegrate.

##No.20 The intersection and turning point of the history of the eighth series

●Taiping Rebellion
In 1843 AD, a major event that shocked the village occurred in Hua County, Guangdong Province.A teacher named Hong Xiuquan smashed the tablet of Confucius enshrined in the private school.In the corrupt Qing Dynasty, Confucius was the most revered saint in people's minds, and someone smashed his tablet, so what's the matter?As a result, Hong Xiuquan was kicked out of the private school.At that time, people thought that Hong Xiuquan's spirit was out of order.In fact, Hong Xiuquan's move opened the prelude to the most magnificent peasant uprising in Chinese history-the Taiping Rebellion!
Hong Xiuquan saw that the people were struggling in dire straits, and became dissatisfied with the society and the rulers.He felt that in order not to be bullied by foreigners and to allow the people to live a stable life, someone must rise up to overthrow this decadent feudal dynasty.To achieve this goal, the people must be organized.Therefore, Hong Xiuquan came up with the method of establishing the religion of worshiping God.Hong Xiuquan claimed to be the second son of God and the younger brother of Jesus (Christian savior, son of God Jehovah).God believes that Confucius' books have taught people badly and are the root of evil in the world.Now the people are suffering from poverty, which is the result of some demons using Confucius' thought to do evil.So, God sent him to the world to kill all the demons and liberate the people.The demons that Hong Xiuquan referred to were the rulers of the Qing Dynasty.People at that time were backward in thinking, coupled with the torment of a poor life, and could not see a way out or hope in real life, so they naturally pinned their hopes on God Worshipers and Hong Xiuquan, and many people joined God Worshipers one after another.When Hong Xiuquan was promoting the religion of worshiping God, he had two assistants, one was his good friend Feng Yunshan, and the other was his brother Hong Rengan.In order to expand the influence of God-worshiping religion and strengthen the power of God-worshiping religion, Hong Xiuquan and Feng Yunshan traveled in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces for a long time.

(End of this chapter)