Chapter 80 Helm of the court

In July of the fifty-first year of Qianlong (1786), Su Ling'a and Ruibao, who were in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Industry, were on a business trip, and the new minister, Shu Chang, had not yet arrived in Beijing. The daily affairs of the department are temporarily managed by Heshen.A month later, the thirty-seven-year-old He Shen was awarded the post of bachelor and was still in charge of the household affairs.At the same time, Fukang Anshang, who was awarded the Minister of the Ministry of Officials and co-organized the bachelor, and the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, was unable to return to Beijing, so He Shen was also in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Officials.In September of the same year, because Heshen had been in charge of Chongwenmen's taxation for eight years, and he had been promoted to a bachelor, it was inconvenient to hold this position concurrently. Instead, his son, Fengshen Yinde, who was also attached to Gu Lun and Princess Xiao, took up the post. .

In the Qing Dynasty, a bachelor's degree was only an honorary position.After the establishment of the Military Aircraft Office during the Yongzheng period, even the meeting of kings and ministers was not allowed to participate in the handling of military and state affairs, and it became a false title.The decision-making responsibilities stipulated in the Canon of the Great Scholars to be in charge of state affairs, praise imperial edicts, formulate constitutional codes, discuss great rites and major policies, and decide whether to file a lawsuit are nonsense.Serving as an official lecturer at the banquet, as an examiner in the general examination, as an official in reading papers in the palace examination, and in the spring and Autumn period, Shi Dian, filming and performing sacrificial ceremonies, etc., has no real power at all.Even so, it is not easy for many officials to obtain the position of bachelor, and most of them can only get it when they are about to retire.And once you get the post of a bachelor, you have to dismiss the six positions you are in charge of, and you can take care of affairs at most, but you are not directly in charge of real power.

He Shen was an exception. Not only did he obtain the honorary position of a bachelor at the age of thirty-seven, but he also remained in charge of the real power of the Ministry of Officials, the Ministry of Households, and the Ministry of Industry among the six ministries.For example, the affairs of the Ministry of Industry is the most lucrative department in charge of the project; the Minister of the Ministry of Officials is responsible for the selection and assessment of officials, and is a heavenly official; All vital sectors. In Qianlong's eyes, He Shen's talents had not been fully utilized, so he let He Shen start to preside over the power of the Military Aircraft Department.The Military Aircraft Office was the center of the Qing Dynasty that directly followed the emperor's will to handle major government affairs.The power of the Minister of Military Aircraft is well-known among the government and the public.Even some of the assistants under the Minister of Military Aircraft who drafted the manuscript, that is, Zhang Jing of the Military Aircraft, because they are close to the state secrets, they usually pretend to be powerful and quite powerful, commonly known as small military aircraft.

Small military aircraft had a great reputation in Qing Dynasty society.Whenever the emperor issued an edict, the Minister of Military Aircraft would hand it over to the military aircraft Zhang Jing to draft the draft, and then submit it to the emperor for review and approval before being issued for execution. This process is described in detail in "Eaves Exposure Miscellaneous Notes": the minister of military aircraft enters the interior in the morning to give an order, and when he retreats, it is time for the Chenpai.After returning to the Military Aircraft Department, call the Military Aircraft Zhang Jing to come in and tell him how many ordinances there are today.The minister said, and Zhang Jing folded them with his hands and recorded them one by one; then he went back to his office and distributed the drafts: which one was drawn by XX, and which one was drawn by XX.In an instant, the pen is like a storm.Military Aircraft Zhang Jing read it, then considered a few more words, and then showed it to the Minister of Military Aircraft.After the minister of military affairs approves it, the eunuch submits it to the emperor, and the emperor reads and approves it before promulgating it to the world.

Military Aircraft Zhang Jing is not a big official and is an assistant. However, because he is in the center of the political power, he handles all the state's confidential documents such as edicts and memorials. Therefore, people in the officialdom think that they are quite powerful figures.Many officials use them to inquire about the latest news in the officialdom in order to gain their attention.Especially some local officials who want to climb up, although they have no way to get close to the court officials such as ministers of military aircraft, ministers of various ministries, or ministers, they often use huge sums of money to buy Zhang Jing, a slightly lower-ranking military aircraft, as their insider, and grasp the imperial court. trend.Therefore, the military aircraft Zhang Jing has a great influence in the officialdom.

Military aircraft Zhang Jing is generally a well-educated person who writes a thousand words and relies on horses to wait for him.But it is inevitable that there will be those who are mediocre and vulgar. Such people have to do more chores of pasting manuscripts and notebooks.This kind of military plane Zhang Jing was ridiculed by the world as a battered Zhang Jing. "Negative Exposure Chat" mentions why they are called battered Zhang Jing: Dala Mi Zhang Jing knows Zhang Jing who can't write, so he doesn't disturb him when he is busy. The scriptures, what do you know, the Ministry’s Proposals, etc., are sandwiched one by one in the scriptures, and asked him to paste them one by one with paste. This is their job, so it is called the batter Zhangjing.

As long as any position can be associated with the emperor, there is a chance for promotion.If the manuscripts drafted by Zhang Jing of the military aircraft are often appreciated by the emperor, the drafters will become famous in a short time, and even be promoted in an exceptional way.On the contrary, if the drafts are always unsatisfactory and have no bright spots, you may not be assigned for ten and a half months, and just go to and from get off work on time.The former is called Hongzhangjing, which means being valued by the emperor and good luck; the latter is called Heizhangjing, which means being left out and suffering from bad luck.Some people even wrote poems for Hong Zhangjing: flowing water is like a chariot or a horse, and the master is like a tiger and his servant is like a fox.Audaciously went to the military plane, and asked Zhongtang with a smile, but nothing came.Among them, Zhongtang refers to a bachelor, which shows the prosperity of Hong Zhangjing's power at that time.On the contrary, Heizhangjing is not so beautiful: bamboo baskets are used as chariots and donkeys, and the master is like a mouse and a servant is like a pig.Slipped quietly to the military plane, and asked Zhongtang in a low voice, but there was nothing.What's more, those who have good things changed the last two sentences to five shifts and walked to the military plane, not knowing what's going on at present.Hei Zhangjing's unlucky appearance of being humble and having nothing to do is vividly expressed.In fact, both the red Zhangjing and the black Zhangjing are a mirror of the dark officialdom in the Qing Dynasty, which makes people sigh with emotion about the fate of life.

When He Shen first joined the Military Aircraft Department, he did not hold actual power, because many veteran officials who had made great contributions were ahead of him.In March of the forty-ninth year of Qianlong (1784), Fu Long'an passed away, and He Shen's ranking in the military aircraft department rose to third place. The Han people could not hold real power, so the actual decision-making power of the Military Aircraft Department fell into the hands of He Shen. In the 50th year of Qianlong (1785), the North Korean envoy said in the "Bie Dan": The Minister of the Ministry of Officials, Heshen, was promoted to the Minister of Military Aircraft last year, and his son was the emperor's daughter, and his daughter was the emperor's grandson, and his power was growing day by day.The emperor also sent his servants to take turns in his ranks, and the flames were overwhelming, and the gentry tended to attach themselves.However, the old man of the pavilion, Agui, was prosperous in the Xun campaign, but he was pure and self-reliant, and he was respected and feared, and the government and the public relied on Yun.In April, the North Korean envoy said in the Wenjian fare list: Heshen's favor is getting better and better, and his power is increasing day by day.At this time, He Shen could be said to be in power, and he became the actual controller of the Qing court.

The reason why Heshen became more and more powerful was that the old and unwilling Emperor Qianlong became more and more tired and diligent, which was very different from the previous young, vigorous and energetic Qianlong.In February of the fifty-second year of Qianlong (1787), Korean envoys had a record describing the changes in Qianlong's political style in his later years: the emperor was quite tired in recent years, and he was often involved in politics, and he always suffered from favoritism; Too much abuse leads to a lighter punishment; too much abuse opens the door to entry, and light punishment leads to the habit of offending.Civil and military dramas, and the relaxation of the legal principles, are quite worrying to those with knowledge.

It was Qianlong who became more and more tired and diligent, which provided Heshen with the opportunity to control the government and consolidate his power and status.By the end of Qianlong's reign, He Shen had actually become the helm of the Qing Dynasty.In August of the second year of Jiaqing (1792), Agui passed away. He truly became the first decision-maker of the imperial court and reached the pinnacle of his career development.