Chapter 71 wise diplomat

The Qianlong period was a period of great development in the world. Extensive connections were established between countries in the world. It was no longer possible for a country to develop independently from the world. For the first time in human history, a real world history appeared. During the Qianlong period, economic exchanges between countries increased, and envoys from various countries also stationed in the capital one after another, hoping to establish a good relationship with the Qing Dynasty.In the forty-fifth year of Qianlong (1780), Heshen served as Minister of the Lifan Academy, the prime minister for foreign affairs of the Qing government.He has received envoys from North Korea, Britain, Annan, Siam, Burma, Ryukyu and Nanzhao successively. Especially during the Qianlong period, the diplomatic affairs between the Qing government and Britain were almost entirely handled by Heshen. Relying on his wit and language talent, he accomplished diplomatic missions brilliantly and conveyed Emperor Qianlong's decree to envoys from various countries.

In addition, as early as August of the 43rd year of Qianlong (1778), when he accompanied Emperor Qianlong to pay homage to the ancestral mausoleum in the northeast, he had contact with the Korean envoy Li Che as a servant of the Ministry of Officials.Li Che also made relevant records: the emperor rode a horse and whipped his ministers past the places where his ministers and others were sitting, and the distance between them was only five or six steps.A man in yellow said to him, "Yes."The man in yellow is heard to be He Shenyun, Minister of the Ministry of Officials.The emperor said suddenly: "Tongguan come here."Then Yihuang's servant called the official and said: "Why are the envoys against you?"The emperor said with a smile: "Korean etiquette is like this."

Every year around the Lantern Festival, the emperor would invite envoys from all over the world to watch fireworks and dramas in front of the Pavilion of High Mountains and Long Rivers in the Old Summer Palace, and give food and entertainment. He Shen often sat where the envoys sat for a long time, depending on how much they ate.He also asked about the names and grades of the ministers and other departments, and the old ministers waited to thank them with a sense of uneasiness, that is to say, this is the emperor's order, and they did not come to see the clouds privately. On the 19th day of the first lunar month in the third year of Jiaqing (1798), Emperor Qianlong hosted a banquet for envoys from various countries in the Old Summer Palace.After the banquet, He Shen was ordered by the Supreme Emperor to convey the greetings from the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor to the kings of various countries, and accepted the salutes from the envoys.Moreover, on behalf of the emperor and the Supreme Emperor, they each gave a round of cheese tea, fruit boxes, cakes and meat.In short, Heshen is responsible for most of the foreign affairs, and he can always arrange very thoughtfully and meticulously, which left a deep impression on foreign envoys. It can be said that he has always served as the foreign minister.

Since then, Heshen had frequent contacts with North Korean envoys, so that Heshen's name can often be seen in various accounts of Korean envoys, which have also become historical materials for understanding Heshen. In the fifty-eighth year of Qianlong (1793), the British government officially sent George.Lord Macartney as envoy, George.Stendon’s delegation visited China. They departed from the port of Portsmouth in the English Channel and went to China on the warships Lion and Hindustan. This was a very influential event in the history of China and Britain. .At that time, Britain was undergoing an industrial revolution, and the purpose of their trip was to establish trade and commerce relations with China.In this way, China's economic door will be opened, and a new huge market will be opened up for their growing productivity.

Because the Qing government has always implemented a closed-door policy, as early as the 22nd year of Qianlong (1751), the imperial court ordered the closure of several treaty ports such as Ningbo and Zhangzhou, leaving only one port in Guangzhou open to foreign countries. Commerce has greatly restricted the commodity trade between China and foreign countries. British products have been unable to enter the Chinese market on a large scale for a long time. Therefore, the British government hopes to establish diplomatic and trade relations with China through this large-scale mission and open up a new situation.

After Macartney and his party landed in Dagu, Tianjin, they were warmly received by the Qing government.As the Shangshu of the Lifan Academy, He Shen is fully responsible for the reception affairs.China and Britain encountered difficulties at the beginning. The Chinese side asked the British envoys to bow down to Qianlong in accordance with Chinese etiquette.Macartney, on the other hand, believed that he was an envoy representing the British Empire and did not agree to such a heavy etiquette.Many officials of the Qing government failed to negotiate successfully, so He Shen had to come forward in person.

After the British envoy had some contact with Heshen, he felt that this official was different from others, so his attitude eased.In the end, the two parties agreed to adopt a compromise method and hold an informal meeting before the Qianlong Longevity Festival celebration on the tenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. , you must perform three worships and nine knocks. He Shen also formulated a detailed and meticulous etiquette program and submitted it to Qianlong Yulan.The content is as follows: Chen Heshen would like to play: Stealing photos of the arrival of the British national tribute envoy, it is engraved on the day, and there are halogen books and other grand masters displayed in Lizhengmen. , Each brought their own seat cushions to the Danbo Jingcheng Hall after the laying was completed, and still withdrew. At the beginning of Mao, the emperor was invited to ascend the throne in the dragon robe and gown. The Mongolian princes and guards were also divided into two wings outside the hall as usual. The ministers inside led the leopard-tailed spears and long target knives. The guards also stood in two shifts. A certain entourage of three or five ministers, nine ministers, and lecturers stood on duty in the courtyard as usual. The palace of the Ministry of Rites led Su Dechao, the deputy of Qin Tianjian, and led the envoys of the Kingdom of England to meet the letter. They entered the front of the palace from the right door of the Palace Gate of the Summer Resort and stepped down. When it was transferred to Yulan, the officials and others immediately ordered the tribute envoy to kneel down three times and kowtow nine times, and then he finished.He should be seated five or three ministers in turn, and lead the tribute envoy to the second row and three meters to the west, and lead him to kowtow to the seat, and then order the guards to give tea as usual, and it is over.Everyone stands in this seat, waiting for the emperor to come out of the palace and be promoted.The ministers led the tribute envoy out to wait outside the Qingjian Pavilion. All the things that should be tasted by the king and the tribute envoy for the first time were pre-set in the front yard of the Qingyin Pavilion. Let's go to see you again.After awarding the tasting, let him go up to thank you and finish the ceremony, and then let him take his seat with the class, and I would like to play.

This memorial expresses the interview process very clearly, and the whole process of interviewing the British envoy was carried out completely according to He Shen's design, which is almost a panoramic display of the interview process.From this we can see that He Shen protected the dignity of the Qing Empire to the greatest extent in front of the menacing British envoy. The reception ceremony finally ended smoothly, and in the subsequent negotiation process, He Shen's wit and eloquence were even more displayed.The British envoy asked Qianlong to open the treaty ports and conduct trade between the two countries. Qianlong was still immersed in his dream of the Qing Empire at this time, so of course he dismissed it.He felt that the envoys to Britain had exhausted their benevolence, so he asked He Shen to send them back as soon as possible.

In order to fully understand the specific situation of the other party, He Shen sent someone to inquire.The report said that three British people had died because they traveled across the ocean and were not acclimatized to the environment.He Shen immediately used this as an excuse and said to Macartney: Mr. Minister, I heard that several entourages in your mission passed away unfortunately, and our country expresses condolences.There is a big difference in climate between our country and yours, especially after winter, it is freezing cold.You have come from a long way, and the journey is not easy, so we should have allowed you to stay longer.Long live my lord understands your difficulty, and in view of this situation, I have to let you go back to China earlier.He wanted to drive him away, but he had to pretend to be considerate of the other party and won the diplomatic initiative.

Macartney's goal has not yet been achieved, and it is difficult to explain when he goes back. Of course, he will not return to China easily.After saying a few words of gratitude, he took out the treaty he had already drawn up, to the effect that he asked the Qing government to open the treaty ports and give them a piece of land as a cargo transfer point. After Heshen calmed them down, he immediately reported their requests to Qianlong. Qianlong rejected all these requests, and issued an edict to them, saying: My heavenly dynasty is rich in products and has everything. I don’t need foreign goods because Tea, porcelain, and silk are the necessities of Western countries. I understand the difficulties of Western countries, so I allow foreign companies to be opened in Macao to meet the needs of the barbarians.As for additional trade, it is not in line with the laws of the Chinese Empire and is not allowed. The legal system of the Chinese Empire is strict. Every inch of land is allocated to the territory and cannot be divided. It is absolutely impossible for the British to ask for land rewards. As for the tax exemption and tax reduction for British businessmen In the first section, Western countries are all the same, and it is inconvenient to reduce the taxation of the United Kingdom alone. In the section on the published guidelines, there are regulations in Guangdong Customs. Be obedient, in order to protect your country and share the blessing of peace.After reading the edict, He Shen understood what Qianlong meant, and there was no need to be polite to the British envoys.The next day, He Shen immediately summoned Macartney, handed him Qianlong's reply to Britain's credentials, and signaled him to lead a delegation back to China immediately.Knowing that Qianlong had closed the door to negotiations, Macartney had no choice but to return to China and return his order.

Heshen participated in the interview with the British envoy from the beginning to the end. He faithfully implemented Qianlong's diplomatic policy, which was warm and principled, so that Macartney and his party received the most polite reception and the strictest supervision. Surveillance and most civilized expulsion.Neither humble nor overbearing, reasonable and restrained, he completed this diplomatic mission excellently. He Shen deserves to be a wise diplomat.