Chapter 9 Surrender to Shangyu Spare Office

Heshen failed the exam, so he planned to continue his studies, honor his ancestors in the imperial examination room, and realize his ambition.His father-in-law, Ying Lian, told He Shen that the imperial examination was not the only way for the children of the Eight Banners to succeed.The imperial court did not impose requirements on the imperial background of the Manchus, but only strict requirements on the Han people.Manchus do not necessarily have to pass the imperial examination to become an official. The imperial court has always maintained the tradition of Manchus emphasizing martial arts and despising literature.What I appreciate is the art of riding and shooting. Most of the bannermen are selected as guards, military meritorious service, pen post style and official students as officials.

Yinglian said to him: You now have the hereditary title of the third rank, so there is no need to waste time on the imperial examination.I will help you find an errand in the palace. Although the position is lowly, it can be close to the emperor.With your ingenuity, you will soon stand out and rise step by step.Although you inherited a military position, but today's emperor loves talent, you have talent and learning, the emperor will definitely appreciate it, and there will be a bright future. He Shen felt that this was an opportunity, so he first found a job as Luanyiwei through Yinglian's relationship.Luan Yiwei is in charge of the emperor's Yiwei arrangement and undertaking all things, that is, the bearer who carries the imperial sedan chair for the emperor.Serving as a bodyguard is the best way for the children of the Eight Banners of Manchuria to get promoted, and He Shen and Ying Lian have been working hard for this.

There are strict regulations on the selection of guards in the palace, one is to choose from the three battalions of the upper three banners, and the other is to select from the clan, world officials and children of the Eight Banners.The descendants of heroes in the Qing Dynasty inherited the titles of their ancestors, which is called inheritance.The world positions include the five ranks of Duke, Marquis, Bo, Zi, and Nan, as well as Yunqiwei, Enqiwei, Qiduwei, Qingcheduwei, etc.According to the grade regulations, Heshen's light car captain can be admitted as a third-class guard. The palace guards are mainly responsible for the safety of the palace and the emperor, and they can follow the emperor to patrol everywhere.The bodyguards are under the unified management of the Bodyguard Office, and the highest official is the Minister of Internal Affairs who leads the bodyguards.The appointment of the ministers leading the bodyguards is appointed by the emperor, generally selected from the ministers of the interior, ministers of Sanzhi, Manchurian governors, university scholars, ministers and generals of various provinces.

The guards are different from the guards of the upper three banners. Daily guards: the yellow flag is in front, the yellow flag is in the middle, and the white flag is in the back.There is a strict system when standing on shift. The bordered yellow flag is on the left, the Zhenghuang flag is on the right, and the Zhengbai flag is divided into left and right.The guards of the above flags are all managed by the minister who leads the guards.Every day, the guards of each banner are divided into six shifts, led by Zhang Jing alone. There were many guards in the Qing Dynasty, including the guards of Qianqingmen, the guards of Luanyi, the guards of Shangsiyuan, the guards of the bridle, the guards of the saddle, the guards of the tea room, the guards on the umbrella, the fifteen guards who were good at shooting, the guards who were good at riding, and the guards who were good at shooting. Hu guards, Shan Qiang bow guards, good pouncing guards, Zou Mongolian guards, Shangyu standby (sticky pole) guards, Harrier house guards, Falcon house guards, dog house guards, etc.These positions are generally filled by the children of Manchurian and Mongolian nobles.Han people also served as guards, and they were appointed by Wu Jinshi in the imperial examination. Generally, the first place in the first class can be awarded the first class guard, the second class in the first class, and the third class can be awarded the second class guard, and the top ten in the second class can be awarded the third class guard and Lanling guards. .

There are also advantages and disadvantages in the positions of guards, among which the imperial guards and the guards of the Qianqing Gate are the most popular.The imperial bodyguards served the emperor all day long and revolved around the emperor.Leaving aside the ability, at least being acquainted also means that there is a chance of being appreciated.The second is the guards of the Qianqing Gate. The Qianqing Palace is the place where the emperor handles the government. These two kinds of guards are the emperor's trusted guards. They must be absolutely loyal to the emperor and have a good background. That is to say, only those who have passed strict political examinations can serve.These two kinds of guards are not under the jurisdiction of the ministers who lead the guards, but are directly responsible by the former ministers.The position of Imperial Minister is filled by Manchu and Mongolian relatives and princes, who command the guards of Qianqing Gate and Imperial Guards, and directly serve the emperor and the inner court.

In the thirty-seventh year of Qianlong (1772), the 23-year-old He Shen was awarded the position of third-class bodyguard.It is mainly responsible for the guard of honor when the emperor travels. It is also called a deacon, and the staff here are called deacons.The Shangyu Reserve Department is a department with certain real power.The guards here are responsible for receiving memorials at the internal memorial office every morning, and there are two officials in charge of inspection. If they find any suspicious-looking people moving around the memorial office, they have the right to order the guards at the Shangyu spare office to arrest them.

The ruling class of the Qing Dynasty was a Manchu who advocated force. Influenced by their traditional ideas, the status and power of the guards were relatively high. Arresting prisoners, hearing cases, etc., can be said to be extremely powerful, so official careers are generally smooth and promotions are quick.It is precisely because of the social fashion of advocating martial arts that the guards neglected cultural and other aspects of cultivation. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, due to the long peace, even the traditions of martial arts and archery gradually fell into disuse, and they became less and less enterprising.

At that time, someone commented on the guards of the Eight Banners: They seldom read, and they even didn't know the Manchu and Mongolian characters.When meeting each other and greeting each other, some people find it difficult to answer politely and remain silent.Occasionally, one or two people who can read a line or two of poetry or a short novel are immediately regarded by the surrounding bannermen as people with a wealth of knowledge.What's more, some clerks are illiterate, which is amazing. From this point of view, He Shen can be said to stand out from the crowd.He has a strong enterprising spirit and a strong belief in getting ahead. He firmly believes that as long as he works hard to hone himself, he will one day stand out.Moreover, he also made full use of the relatively leisurely guard position, worked hard to recharge, improved himself, and accumulated a lot of knowledge.This roc, he has never given up his dream of soaring into the sky.