Why did Emperor Qianlong go to Jiangnan at the age of 74? What is he looking for? Now I understand

Emperor Qianlong had admired his grandfather Emperor Kangxi very much since he was a child. Emperor Qianlong was also envious of Emperor Kangxi's deeds of touring Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as he was an accomplished monarch in Chinese history. After Emperor Qianlong recuperated from the Kangxi and Yongzheng dynasties, his domestic strength was unprecedentedly strong. During the 33 years from 1751 to 1784 AD, Emperor Qianlong visited the south of the Yangtze River six times. When he visited the south of the Yangtze River for the last time, Qianlong was already 74 years old.

So what was the purpose of Qianlong’s six visits to Jiangnan? What is he looking for?

For a long period of time after Qianlong succeeded to the throne, Ertai and Zhang Tingyu, former ministers of the previous dynasty, were responsible for managing the affairs of the court. Both of these two men were auxiliary ministers during the reign of Yongzheng, with deep qualifications and great influence. After Qianlong succeeded to the throne, although he held absolute power, he did not dare to despise these two veterans of the previous dynasty, and he also had special respect for them. But Qianlong wanted to get rid of the shackles of the two after all. However, Ertai and Zhang Tingyu were cautious and honest in everything they did. When they were in court, Qianlong's proposal to inspect the South met with opposition. Because there was too much opposition, I had no choice but to cancel the idea. Ertai died in the 10th year of Qianlong's reign, and Zhang Tingyu retired in the 14th year of Qianlong's reign. This way, the obstacles to the southern tour were basically removed. After nearly two years of preparation, on the eighth day of February in the sixteenth year of Qianlong's reign, he embarked on his first trip to the south of the Yangtze River, with his destination being Huai'an, Jiangsu.

Qianlong’s southern tour usually covered a total of more than 5,800 miles from Beijing to Hangzhou by waterway. It is about 60 miles a day by land. The royal road that Qianlong walked was very particular. The standard was three feet wide, six feet in the center, and seven feet on both sides. They were all required to be solid and flat. Not only that, the roads must be straight and not bent at will, so many residents' houses were destroyed, graves were dug, and fertile fields were destroyed. Everywhere Qianlong went, someone had to introduce the geographical location, history and customs. It can be said that it was a waste of manpower and material resources.

The positive purpose of Qianlong's trips to the south of the Yangtze River was to show off national power, while Kangxi's sixth trip to the south of the Yangtze River was to observe the public sentiment in the form of private visits incognito. But when it came to Qianlong, the ostentation was very grand, which also reflected the side of Qianlong's character that was very happy with success. During his six southern tours, Qianlong inspected the Yellow River management project five times and the seawall projects in Jiangsu and Zhejiang four times. On the other hand, in order to win over people's hearts, wherever he passed, taxes were reduced or reduced to varying degrees, especially to the retired officials of the former dynasty, who were greeted with greetings and gifts. It can be said that it has won over many people.

There are two other important reasons why Qianlong went to Jiangnan, but they are generally not mentioned. One of the reasons is to look for flowers and ask willows. As the emperor of the Qing Dynasty, although he had all the women in the world, he could not get whoever he wanted! The system of the Qing Dynasty was very strict. The emperor himself did not choose the flop cards we are familiar with, and even the time for sleeping was stipulated. The purpose of various restrictions is to allow the emperor to work diligently in politics and not do whatever he wants. The beautiful scenery of Jiangnan was what Qianlong longed for. When the sun rises, the flowers on the river are as red as fire, and when spring comes, the river is as green as blue. How can we not remember Jiangnan? Going to the south of the Yangtze River gave Qianlong a good opportunity to find flowers and flowers.

Another reason is that Emperor Qianlong's biological mother, Niggulu, was originally from Chengde and her family was of average wealth. When she was 13 years old, she mixed in with the beautiful girls and was assigned to Prince Yong's palace. Later, she gave birth to Qianlong. In her previous life, Concubine Xi should have been Qianlong's biological mother, the Nigurulu family, or the Qian family! According to the records of Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty, following the decree of the Empress Dowager, the concubine Nian was granted the title of Noble Concubine, the concubine Li was granted the title of Concubine Qi, and the concubine Gege Niuzulu was granted the title of Concubine Xi. The records of Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty have put the Niugulu style under the name of Concubine Xi. Comparing the records of Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty with the Qing palace archives, it is very likely that the Qian family is the Niugulu family. If the Qian family is really the Niugulu family, then Emperor Qianlong is likely to come to find his biological mother under the guise of going to Jiangnan.