Yongzheng did not directly arrest Nian Gengyao. First, because there is insufficient evidence at this stage, if there is no proper and sufficient reason and evidence, directly arresting the country's great heroes will definitely cause discussion among people in the ruling and opposition parties and will not be very good for their reputation; Second, I'm worried that if we seize Nian Gengyao rashly, it will arouse the dissatisfaction of the Nian Gengyao clique, and then lead to turmoil and even rebellion in North Korea.
Therefore, Yongzheng adopted a step-by-step strategy. In this process, Yongzheng was thoughtful, thoughtful and slow, and his political struggle was textbook-level. It really deserves to be the winner of "Nine sons seize the office", which can definitely make you feel what the emperor's mind is.
First of all, from the second year of Yongzheng (1724)1month, Yongzheng first secretly communicated with some government officials and court officials, privately expressing his dissatisfaction with Nian Gengyao, reminding these people to take sides in time, and it is best to expose the criminal facts of Nian Gengyao.
Later, Yongzheng began to criticize Nian Gengyao in public. No matter what Nian Gengyao does, Yongzheng can find fault in an egg and criticize him in an above-mentioned way. The most representative example is the "admonition event in the morning and evening".
In March of the third year of Yongzheng (1725), the astronomical phenomenon of "the sun and the moon combined, and the five stars of Jin Mu appeared on the same side of the sky at the same time" appeared in Beijing. Now we all know that this is a normal astronomical phenomenon, but at that time it was considered as an auspicious sign.
According to the usual practice, ministers above a certain level should congratulate the emperor, praise the emperor's holiness, and move to heaven, and heaven deliberately blessed and auspicious. The contents of these congratulations forms are also official rhetoric. Ministers are just going through the motions, loyal to the emperor's watch, and the emperor generally does not personally check it.
But this time, I don't know why, Yong Zhengdi watched it, and he watched it very carefully. Just like editing a manuscript, I don't let go of any details. Finally, he found a mistake in the congratulations table on the Nian Gengyao, and wrote the beautiful word "morning exercise and evening remonstration" used to describe the emperor's diligence all day long as "sunset glow".
Yongzheng took this writing mistake to the top and said: Nian Gengyao is not a careless person. His congratulations form was written on purpose, and he didn't want to use the words "go out early and come back late" to evaluate me. This is because of his meritorious service and disrespect for me. "Nian Gengyao didn't promise me today, but the merits and demerits of Nian Gengyao and Qinghai are also between my promise and disapproval."
As soon as Yongzheng said this, I am afraid that no one in the civil and military affairs of the Qing Dynasty could not see Yongzheng's intention. Plus, Nian Gengyao was criticized in private and public before Yongzheng, so ministers began to play in succession, impeaching Nian Gengyao and exposing his crimes.
Yongzheng sent someone to check Nian Gengyao's evidence and carry out witness material evidence. Don't say that Nian Gengyao usually has all kinds of illegal things. If you look up something, it doesn't exist at all. Now that the emperor has said it himself, you have to find out your guilt if you are not guilty.
At the same time, at this stage, Yongzheng also began to woo civil and military officials in Nian Gengyao's sphere of influence-Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, trying to break the ice, fundamentally disintegrating the Nian Gengyao Group and isolating Nian Gengyao.
The most important object of wooing is Yue Zhongqi, the top general of Nian Gengyao. Yongzheng wrote to Yue Zhongqi, revealing his intention to get rid of Nian Gengyao, and ensuring that he would not be implicated by Nian Gengyao afterwards. He would also succeed Nian Gengyao as the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and serve as the commander-in-chief of the three armies who would March into Junggar in the future.
Yue Zhongqi knows very well that as the highest general and core member of Nian Gengyao Group, he is still a Han Chinese. If he doesn't accept the emperor's favor and draw a line with Nian Gengyao, once Nian Gengyao falls, he will die, even implicating the whole family. Therefore, after careful consideration, Yue Zhongqi stood on the side of Yongzheng.
However, some people refused to woo them, such as Hu Qiheng, former political envoy of Shaanxi and governor of Gansu. He and Nian Gengyao have known each other since childhood, and their feelings are very harmonious. It is also a relationship between superiors and subordinates for many years, and Nian Gengyao helped him a lot. He resisted Yongzheng's threats and inducements and refused to expose Nian Gengyao.
When everyone was hurting Nian Gengyao, it was really commendable that Hu Jiheng didn't follow suit and didn't give up his principles for his own future. Of course, he chose this road, and naturally he will bear the consequences of such a choice. Soon, Hu Jiheng was dismissed and imprisoned, and was not released until Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne.
After everything was ready, in the third year of Yongzheng (1725) and on April 18, Yong Zhengdi issued an edict to remove General Nian Gengyao Fukuhara and Governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and transferred him to General Hangzhou, and appointed Yue Zhongqi as Governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi. This move is to transfer Nian Gengyao from the base camp, so as to deal with him later.
After Nian Gengyao left Xi, he went all the way east. Two months later, he came to Yizheng, Jiangsu Province (now Yizheng City, Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province), and should have taken a boat to Hangzhou to take office. However, Nian Gengyao still can't believe that he came to such an end at this time. He felt that someone must have framed him in front of the emperor, so he wrote to Yongzheng and asked to be allowed to enter Beijing.
How could Yongzheng give him such an opportunity? Later, on the grounds of staying in Yizheng, Jiangsu, he was relieved of his post as a general in Hangzhou, and was reduced to an idle Zhang Jing, who went to the East Gate of Hangzhou-Taipingmen as a janitor.
In July, at the behest of Yongzheng, officials from all walks of life in the DPRK requested the execution of Nian Gengyao in order to enforce the law. Yongzheng refused to listen, but asked the provincial generals, governors, magistrates and company commanders for advice and asked them to express their views on the case.
In September of Yongzheng, Nian Gengyao sent troops to suppress salt owls in Heyang, Shaanxi Province (now Heyang County, Weinan City, Shaanxi Province) and killed more than 800 civilians. He ordered Nian Gengyao to be deprived of all his titles and kept in Beijing, where he was criticized by the Ministry of Three Laws (the Ministry of Punishment, the Douchayuan and Dali Temple). 1 1 On May 5th, Nian Gengyao and his family were escorted to Beijing and put into the prison of the Ministry of Punishment.
In the Qing Dynasty, when drafting the charges against criminal officials, the judicial organs always stipulated the ordinary duty crimes of middle and lower officials, such as corruption, bribery and dereliction of duty. None of them have been severely sentenced. This is to leave room for yourself. In case these officials are re-employed, the relationship between the two sides will not be affected.
As for the crimes committed by high-ranking officials with political overtones and personally supervised by the emperor, the heavier the sentence, the better. First, in order not to let the emperor suspect that he is an accomplice of criminal officials, the light sentence is intended to protect him; Second, if the emperor is tolerant, then the emperor will make special laws to show his benevolence. If the crime is not serious, how can the emperor tolerate others?
The situation in Nian Gengyao certainly belongs to the latter. Throughout 1 1 month, officials of the Third Law Department were busy agreeing on the charges against Nian Gengyao, and civil and military officials from various provinces also played in succession to express their views on the case. Everyone agrees that Nian Gengyao is unforgivable and should be killed!
These people are jealous of Nian Gengyao's previous love. Now that he's down and out, of course he has to step on his foot. Have a plenty of holidays with Nian Gengyao, nature also won't miss this opportunity to completely bring down Nian Gengyao; In order to protect himself, the emperor clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with Nian Gengyao, and a series of previous operations also showed that Yongzheng had to win Nian Gengyao. The emperor asked the ministers what they thought of the case, and where they really asked your opinions and suggestions. They just want you to publicly support the emperor's decision, thus proving that Nian Gengyao's victory is widely expected.
In the third year of Yongzheng (1725),1February1day, Yongzheng sentenced Nian Gengyao to 92 major crimes, including treason and bullying, in strict accordance with the regulations of the Qing Dynasty and the regulations of the official department, as well as the corresponding laws and administrative procedures.
Yongzheng wanted to prove to the world that Nian Gengyao was dismissed, convicted and put to death because he did commit these crimes. He is guilty of a heinous crime and should be punished according to law. He acted in accordance with the law and had absolutely no selfishness. He is not a hero who saved all the birds and hid all the bows.
However, to be honest, some of these allegations are true; Some are "if you want to add a crime, why not stick to it"; Others belong to you. It's no problem to have a good relationship with the emperor, but once the emperor turns his face and denies people, it's your sin.
On the same day, Nian Gengyao was given suicide, and the second son was sentenced to beheading; The rest/kloc-soldiers over 0/5 years old were sent to Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi to serve as soldiers in smoky places; Under the age of fifteen, wait until the age of fifteen and then send them one after another; Nian Gengyao's current or alternate civil and military officials will be dismissed, and Nian Gengyao's direct descendants will never be allowed to be an official.
In addition, Yongzheng did not implicate the rest of the Nian Shi family. Nian Gengyao's father was dismissed only at a very young age. After his death, Yongzheng ordered the original official to be buried to restore his reputation. Eldest brother Xirao Nian was dismissed, but returned to his post a few months later; The wife goes back to her mother's house; Sister Nianguifei died of suicide in Nian Gengyao more than half a month ago, but when Yongzheng decided to win Nian Gengyao earlier, he didn't take it out on her. Instead, she was promoted to imperial concubine before she died.
I don't know if you will have such questions. Later, Nian Gengyao was beaten to the end, deprived of military power, stripped of his henchmen and transferred from the base camp. It can be said that there is no threat to Yongzheng, so why did Yongzheng insist on executing him? Can't he be a janitor in Hangzhou, or even a citizen?
For this question, Zheng Xiaoyou, Ph.D. in the Department of History of Peking University and deputy research librarian of the National Library, made a bold guess in the book The Death of Nian Gengyao, which she thought was largely related to the Prince Fu Hui born to the imperial concubine Nian.
At that time, Yong Zhengdi had only four sons: Hong, Li Hong, Hong Zhou and Fu Hui. Hongshi has never been favored by Yongzheng, so only the other three princes may be named Chu Jun. Although Fu Hui is the youngest, her mother has the highest status, and I am also the favorite of Yongzheng, so she will probably be named Chu Jun in the future.
Yongzheng was worried that if he didn't take the opportunity to kill Nian Gengyao, he would die in front of Nian Gengyao in the future, so he set up Fu Hui Chu Jun. When the new king acceded to the throne, Nian Gengyao would probably return to the court as an uncle. At that time, it was hard to say whether the young new king could control the once powerful prince's maternal uncle, so Yongzheng made up his mind to uproot the grass.
However, even if Yongzheng thinks so, in the end, it will draw water with a sieve. Because in September of the sixth year of Yongzheng (1726), Prince Fu Hui died at the age of eight. Yongzheng was so sad that he ordered to drop out of school for three days and be buried with the prince. The last link between the Nian Gengyao family and the royal family is gone.
Recalling the experiences of Nian Gengyao and Yongzheng is really embarrassing! At the beginning, Yongzheng was so kind to Nian Gengyao, treated him with courtesy and sweet words. But later, turning against each other was faster than turning over a book, and Nian Gengyao finally died and broke. Is it really heartless to have such a big difference before and after?
Since ancient times, getting along with the monarch has been a big problem. Xiao He, the prime minister of the Western Han Dynasty, was the first hero of the founding of the People's Republic of China. He wanted to buy private land and houses at a low price from the Shame Festival to dispel Liu Bang's doubts. To pacify the Anshi Rebellion and rebuild Guo Ziyi in the Tang Dynasty, we are always cautious and restrained, and it will end well.
Looking through the history books, I found that it is really like Yongzheng said: ordinary people do things easily, but success is difficult; It is easy to succeed, but it is difficult to keep working; It's easy to keep working, but it's hard to achieve in the end! For the monarch, it is easy to be gracious and difficult to be gracious; When grace is easy, it is difficult to protect grace; Ian, it's all hard!
As the so-called "Lord of Gao Zhen", the monarch is worried not only that officials have the will to rebel, but also that officials have the strength to rebel, especially the latter. Do you think Nian Gengyao really wants to rebel? I believe that Yongzheng himself did not believe that Nian Gengyao would do this. However, it is an indisputable fact that Nian Gengyao is armed to the teeth and has been operating in Sichuan and Shaanxi for many years.
Being arrested for rebellion requires both will and strength. For the monarch, the safest way to prevent the rebellion of the courtiers is to start with the courtiers. I don't care if you object or not. I can't guess. Maybe you don't have to object if you want, but I can't let you have the power to resist.
First, without strength, people generally don't rebel, let alone throw eggs at stones. Second, even if you rebel, because I was prepared before, you are weak, and I have a way to put it down.
Therefore, monarchs are generally very afraid that their officials have too much power and will check and balance in court so as not to threaten their rule. Some are peaceful, some are bloody.
In the TV series Nirvana in Fire, Liang Wudi's eldest son, Wang Qi, was executed by Liang Wudi on suspicion of rebellion. Many people know that this is an unjust case and think that Emperor Liang was blinded by a villain. I hope this case can be retried. However, Shen Zhui, the minister of the household department, thought it impossible. He said to the seventh son of Emperor Liang, "Your Majesty doesn't care if there was a real rebellion at that time. What is important is that he can rebel at any time if he wants. " A man is innocent, but he is guilty.
Xun Baishui, the first record in the TV series Langya List 2, attacked Changlin Wang Fu by various means. When his nephew questioned him, he said that Changlin Palace was in a high position and was armed to the teeth. The court needed checks and balances, and it was necessary to take precautions to avoid bloodshed in the future. My nephew thinks that King Changlin is very loyal, which is not the case.
Xun Baishui said: "Can't we all fight for the throne of the country and the throne of the son of heaven by the character of Changlin Wang Fu?" If they are honest, the country will be stable. Once they have ideological differences, they will make a scene. If it were you, would you be at ease? "It's not that he doesn't believe Wang Fu's loyalty to Chang Lin. He is worried about the future. He believes that no matter who the courtiers are, there should be no power that is difficult to balance.
From the monarch's point of view, if a courtier has the power to threaten the imperial power, he is not at ease, and power will corrode people. "If there is a sharp weapon in his arms, he will kill his heart." Once you have such a strong strength, it is hard to say whether you can keep your original heart afterwards.
References:
Feng erkang's biography of Yongzheng
Ganlin Yongzheng thirteen years
Zheng Xiaoyou's Death of Nian Gengyao