Chapter 28 Serve you as your father

People have feelings, and He Shen had more contact with Qianlong. He really loved, cared for, and respected Emperor Qianlong.He regards Qianlong more than anyone else, and takes good care of him and serves him every day, so Qianlong regards him as the most trustworthy person throughout his life, and He Shen really treats Qianlong as his own father.Later, it can also be seen from Qianlong's attitude towards him that the relationship between the two has really surpassed that of a monarch and his ministers, and they are like father and son. In order to promote the Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and filial piety, feudal monarchs always set an example for the world.Qianlong was also a face-saving person, and he was unwilling to be inferior.

Whenever the Empress Dowager celebrated her birthday, Qianlong always spared no expense to make the birthday celebration grand and festive, in order to make the Empress Dowager happy.An article at the time read: For more than ten miles, each of them divided the land, set up lanterns and built pavilions.The Tianjie is originally vast, and you can see the shops on both sides, the mountains and rivers embroidered, the gold and silver palaces, the ribbons cut into flowers, and the houses covered with scrolls, nine flowers and three lights, and the seat of seven treasures.There is a stage every dozens of steps, with southern accent and north tune, with music from all directions, handsome children and clever tricks, singing fans and dancing shirts, the back part is not resting, the front part is already welcoming, looking left and right, startled, and looking right, tourists are like entering Penglai fairy island. , in Qionglou Yuyu, listen to the song of neon clothes and watch the dance of feathers.The work of the scenery is also skillful in embellishment but not too expensive.Or use colored silk as a mountain shape, foil as a wave pattern, or even a longevity peach with several houses, all of which are rough and insignificant.As far as the Jade Pavilion in Guangdong is, it is two or three feet wide, and the roof tiles are all made of peacocks. One pavilion is like a thousand eyes.The Yellow Crane Tower in Chu Province has three floors of double eaves.The walls are all made of glass with a height of seven or eight feet.In Chuhu Town, Zhejiang Province, it is Guangyang, with a large round mirror embedded in the algae well in the middle, and tens of thousands of small mirrors in four quarters, with scales piercing into a wall. It's everywhere, it's a wonder of the world.

This article describes in detail the scene when Qianlong celebrated the 60th birthday of the Empress Dowager, and mentioned everything from the market to the pavilions, so as to show the grand occasion of the birthday celebration that year. His mother was extremely filial in the world. Qianlong, who loved to write poetry all his life, has preserved more than 40,000 poems, many of which depict scenes of family happiness between mother and child, expressing his infinite respect and love for his mother.Among them, "Xinzheng Chonghua Palace Serving the Empress Dowager" wrote: The phoenix chariot is facing the Dragon Pavilion, the first auspiciousness of the new year.

The Tongting is full of joy, and the green fields are full of spring. Xin replied to the early Shaoling, and it was called Wanshou Cup. The fragrant orchid lily is better than Yan Shuangxiang. Fufu Sun Zengrao, the sun and the moon are long, To have fun in the palace, I want to be in the group. This poem describes the lively scene of Qianlong and the Empress Dowager getting together during the Spring Festival. At the same time, it also expresses the sincere feelings of wishing the Empress Dowager a healthy and long life. It allows us to understand from one aspect the joyful scene that rarely appears in the palace.Another poem reads:

The scenery in the sky is beautiful and fresh, and the pleasant people are all for the benefit of the farmland. The light cloud and the clear sky are frightening, and the eternal day is like a late race for the ferry. The slanted leaves roll around the coke cloud pavilion, and the low branches burn in the fire swamp. The five silk colored strands follow the customs, and I hope that my life will be longer than that of compassion. This poem describes the lively scene of Qianlong and the Queen Mother going to the Yuanmingyuan to watch the dragon boat when the pomegranate flowers bloom in May and the Dragon Boat Festival comes.

Therefore, in order to get closer to Qianlong and win over the relationship with Qianlong, He Shen also devoted himself to serving Qianlong's mother, the Empress Dowager.He Shen was always dedicated to the Queen Mother, and he knew in his heart that as long as he could serve the Queen Mother comfortably and often praise himself in front of the Emperor, Qianlong would be very happy.A compliment from the queen mother is more effective than those cold gold and silver treasures. In fact, if you want to get close to someone, if you can start with the people around him and show full respect to those he respects, you will often receive unexpected results.He Shen has mastered this method. Not only is he respectful to the queen mother and empress, but he is also humble to those around the emperor, and even his attendants whose status is far lower than his own.All in all, as long as those people can talk to the emperor, he will treat them with care, so that they have the opportunity to say good things about themselves to the emperor.

Whenever the Empress Dowager's birthday, He Shen would put aside his airs as a minister, and together with the lowly guards, would carry the Empress Dowager's phoenix chariot to receive congratulations from all the officials.Qianlong saw all of this. Although he didn't say anything on the surface, there was always a touch of emotion in his heart, and he couldn't help but value Heshen even more.When Qianlong was sixty-seven years old, the Empress Dowager of Chongqing passed away, and Qianlong, who was nearly seventy years old, was very sad.Immediately made up his mind to cut her hair, and dressed in white silk filial piety clothes, she kept her filial piety for the queen mother in Sheqingzhai.Seeing this scene, He Shen showed infinite grief.As a minister, his actions could have been done here, but he mourned with Qianlong, wept beside Qianlong, and mourned the Queen Mother as his own relatives.These have greatly increased Qianlong's favor and trust in Heshen, and since then, Qianlong has become more and more fond of Heshen.

In this way, He Shen bowed his knees to his superiors and abused his power to his inferiors, and the entire court gradually fell under his control.This is how He Shen took control of the fate of the empire step by step.Even the British deputy envoy who came to the Qianlong Dynasty saw this point, and he recorded: He Shen always followed the emperor's driving.When the emperor stopped the sedan chair to express condolences to the special envoy (Magarney), several officials jumped over the ditch and knelt down in front of the sedan chair in Hezhong Hall.It is worth noting that, apart from He Zhongtang, there are no other ministers, relatives and attendants of the emperor following His Majesty the Emperor, which shows the special status of He Zhongtang.

He Shen served Qianlong like his elders, and finally gained supreme power and achieved his personal goals.