After rising to the pinnacle of power under Emperor Qianlong, the notoriously corrupt official Heshen ultimately faced his inevitable reckoning. There were some lower-ranking officials who dared to challenge him directly, but their attempts bore no fruit while the emperor still lived. For example, in the 51st year of Qianlong’s reign, an imperial censor named Cao Xibao attempted to impeach one of Heshen’s relatives in order to lessen his power.
When Cao Xibao showed a fellow townsman the memorial he planned to submit to the emperor, the townsman immediately reported it to Heshen resulting in Cao’s dismissal. Heshen, now cautious, took measures to safeguard his position by ensuring all memorials to the emperor were also sent to his office, making direct accusations against him more difficult.
Jiaqing becomes emperor
When Emperor Qianlong abdicated the throne in 1796, his son Jiaqing ascended to power. Despite stepping down, Qianlong retained significant influence as the retired Emperor, continuing to rule from behind the scenes. This shift in power presented Heshen with new challenges. He found himself in the precarious position of having to appease Jiaqing, while simultaneously making efforts to curb the new emperor’s ability to establish his own base of loyalists. Despite his efforts, including dismissing one of Jiaqing’s mentors on false charges, his influence began to wane as Jiaqing started to assert his power.
By the second year of Jiaqing’s reign, with the death of the chief military minister, Heshen assumed the role, further consolidating his control. However, Jiaqing remained wary, maintaining a façade of reliance on him while secretly planning his downfall.
The fall of a power broker
With the death of retired Emperor Qianlong, Heshen’s support crumbled, marking the beginning of the end. Jiaqing swiftly moved to isolate Heshen and his allies, starting with stripping him of his military titles and assigning him to guard the body of Qianlong, which basically served as a form of imprisonment and effectively cut off his contact with the outside world.
Accusations against Heshen flooded in, leading to a swift purge of his positions and a thorough investigation into his wealth and misconduct. Jiaqing’s decisive actions culminated in the confiscation of his immense fortune and the demand for provincial officials to denounce him.
Despite calls for his execution, Jiaqing allowed Heshen to take his own life, a decision intended to preserve the dignity of the state while ensuring justice.
The motivation behind Jiaqing’s actions against Heshen was multifaceted. His incredible wealth, amassed through corruption and monopolization of trade, was legendary. His properties, like the luxurious Prince Gong’s Mansion, were symbols of his excesses. The investigation into his assets revealed a fortune that equated to the annual revenue of the Qing Dynasty for 10 years, highlighting the extent of his corruption.
The true cause of Heshen’s downfall
Heshen’s downfall was not merely due to his wealth, but his overwhelming ambition and manipulation of power, which posed a direct threat to the imperial authority. Jiaqing’s actions were driven by the need to reassert control and eliminate any potential challenges to his rule.
Despite Jiaqing’s acknowledgment of his capabilities, the necessity to remove such a threatening figure from power was paramount, illustrating a complex acknowledgment of his talents amid his corruption.
A legacy of hubris
After Jiaqing became emperor, Heshen’s family faced several misfortunes. The death of his wife, Lady Feng, with whom he had shared a deep bond despite his also having many concubines, marked the beginning of his own downfall. Within a year, Heshen himself died, and his son Fengshen Yinde quickly buried him in Ji County, Hebei, marking a humble end to a once powerful man.
Heshen was undoubtedly skilled, particularly in navigating the complexities of power within the imperial court. He climbed to a position of immense influence, owing much of his success to his close relationship with the emperor and his ability to secure the emperor’s favor. However, this skill could not ensure him everlasting wealth and enjoyment, and he ultimately faced death for all of his misdeeds.
See Part 1 here
Translated by Joseph Wu
