Qing · Official and Statesman

Heshen 和珅

Héshēn

Attested AD 1799

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Heshen was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

already brought to law by time of memorial 其人雖已致法
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 84

Attested activity

AD 1799 嘉慶四年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 74

Career and standing

Crimes enumerated in open edicts at Qianlong's death
Authority Jiaqing Emperor (仁宗)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 74

Places and affiliations

Qing 清
Relation Associated with
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 74

Events and relationships

Altered ancestral precedents and introduced private adherents for over ten years
Political · Power holder
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passages 84-85
Relation Student of · Person Wu Shenglan (吳省蘭)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passage 80

Assessments and attributes

Assessment corrupt powerful minister · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Hong Liangji (洪亮吉)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 356, passages 74, 84

References in the histories

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 356Volume 356 Biographies 143: Hong Liangji, Guan Shiming, Gu Jiqi, Li Zhongzhao, Shi Chengzao · 6 passages

純皇帝大事之時，即明發諭旨數和珅之罪，並一一指其私人，天下快心。 At the Qianlong emperor's death the throne had openly listed Heshen's crimes and named his creatures one by one, to the nation's relief.

夫二吳之為和珅私人，與之交通貨賄，人人所知。 Everyone knew the two Wu were Heshen's men and had traded in bribes with him.

故曹錫寶之糾和珅家人劉全也，以同鄉素好，先以摺稿示二吳，二吳即袖其走權門，藉為進身之地。 When Cao Xibao impeached Heshen's servant Liu Quan, he showed the draft first to the two Wu as fellow townsmen; they tucked it away and rushed to the power-holders, turning betrayal into advancement.

吳省蘭先為和珅教習師，後反稱和珅為老師，大考則第一矣，視學典試不絕矣，非和珅之力而誰力乎？ Wu Shenglan had once been Heshen's tutor, then called Heshen his teacher; he took first in the Hanlin examination and kept receiving education and examination posts—whose power was that if not Heshen's?

蓋其人雖已致法，而十馀年來，其更變祖宗成例，汲引一己私人，猶未嘗平心討論。 Though Heshen himself had been punished, more than ten years of his changes to ancestral precedent and packing of offices with his creatures had never been calmly reviewed.

內閣、六部各衙門，何為國家之成法，何為和珅所更張，誰為國家自用之人，誰為和珅所引進，以及隨同受賄舞弊之人，皇上縱極仁慈，縱慾寬脅從，又因人數甚廣，不能一切屏除。 In the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and every yamen—which rules were the state's and which Heshen's, who had been the court's own men and who Heshen's creatures, who had shared in bribery and fraud—the emperor might be merciful and wish to spare the coerced, and the numbers were too vast to purge everyone at once.