Portrait of Nian Gengyao
Although Nian Gengyao was a military commander, he studied at an early age and entered the officialdom as a scholar. Throughout his life, he repeatedly made meritorious military service, strategized and courageously settled the frontier, making great contributions to stabilizing the frontier and unifying the whole country in the Qing Dynasty.
During the reign of Kangxi, Nian Gengyao was able to show his talents, was appreciated by Kangxi, and made great achievements during his reign in Sichuan. After Nian Gengyao defeated the invading army of Junggar in Tibetan areas, his outstanding military talents made him soar and became the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi. In the same year, Nian Gengyao put down the rebellion in Qinghai, eliminated regional contradictions and gained greater military strength.
During the Yongzheng period, Nian Gengyao got the emperor's supreme favor and was almost a courtier and friend. In business affairs, he was Yong Zhengdi's indispensable assistant, and he was once in power.
1723, Nian Gengyao was appointed to be in charge of all military affairs in the west, with more power than all other higher vocational officers, and local officials in the west obeyed him. In the same year, Nian Gengyao was ordered to quell the unrest in Rob Zangdanjin, and the war continued until the following year. Nian Gengyao's ingenious tactics swept the audience and won a great victory, which made him famous. At this point, Nian Gengyao is a first-class duke, who is in charge of military affairs and government affairs in the northwest and southwest.
At this time, Nian Gengyao not only held the military power, but also participated in political affairs, influencing the emperor's decision-making and gaining the supreme favor.
However, with the rise of Nian Gengyao, he gradually became arrogant, ignoring princes and princes, disrespecting the prince, and even despising the ceremony of the monarch and his subjects. Coupled with the admonition of courtiers, the emperor was dissatisfied and the contradiction gradually intensified.
1725, when Nian Gengyao congratulated the auspicious astronomical phenomena, he made a mistake and was caught by the emperor. The emperor listed various charges, ordered him to commit suicide, dismissed his family, and destroyed a generation of famous players.
How did Nian Gengyao die? Nian Gengyao, as a great soldier, pacified the frontier. During the Qing dynasty, he was in power for a time, especially during the Yongzheng period. He reached the point where he could influence the emperor's decision-making and was highly appreciated and promoted. Why did such a great star end up in ruin, and how did he die?
Nian Gengyao prison stills
It is reported that Nian Gengyao became complacent after being favored, which caused the emperor's dissatisfaction and eventually led to his death.
1724, Nian Gengyao went to Beijing to appear before the emperor. On the way, he asked all the ministers to bow to him by the roadside. When he arrived in Beijing, he turned a blind eye to the princes who came to meet him, and he was very proud. Even in the face of the holy family, he despised the ceremony of the monarch and the minister. This incident became the fuse of the conflict between Nian Gengyao and the emperor. From then on, the emperor was dissatisfied and warned him to be cautious. As a result, the trend in Nian Gengyao began to decline.
The following year, due to Nian Gengyao's cronyism, all kinds of greed and violence appeared. He impeached the governor of Sichuan, changed his post to his own private post, expanded his power beyond his authority, and overstepped his authority, increasingly intensifying the contradiction with the emperor.
In March, a rare good omen appeared in the sky, so many officials went to Beijing to congratulate the emperor. Nian Gengyao praised and congratulated the emperor without exception, but he made a small mistake and was caught by the emperor, which led to his death. Nian Gengyao's congratulatory message was scrawled and written in the wrong order, which was used by the emperor as an excuse to say that he was self-reliant, arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor.
In this way, the emperor took back his power. Due to the weakening of Nian Gengyao's power, ministers exposed his crimes one after another. Finally, he was dismissed for 92 major crimes, committed suicide in prison, looted property and exiled his children, thus ending the career of a generation of famous soldiers.