The principle of the ruler and subject in a prosperous dynasty determines the survival or demise of the court.

Author: Zou Fanping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-18
Features: In the imperial court, the ruler is noble and the minister is light—in the long history of the ruler-subject relationship, it resembles a parabola, reaching its peak during the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns. The game between the ruler and the minister has not eased but rather intensified with the expansion of autocracy. The way of the ruler-subject thus survives precariously amidst their struggles. Kangxi admired Confucianism and could treat his ministers as teachers and friends; Yongzheng clarified official administration, relying on capable and ruthless officials; Qianlong indulged corrupt officials and gentry, sparking a life-and-death struggle in the bureaucracy. Whether hating ministers for forming cliques, "killing dogs after the rabbits are caught," or launching literary inquisitions, it is essentially based on the longing for autocracy, ultimately boiling down to a power struggle. Even honest officials, if they violated the court rules of the time, could only become sacrificial victims. Of course, there were also those who freely roamed the court, like Li Guangdi in the text, who was the only one Kangxi consulted in his later years about the succession; Zhang Tingyu was favored by the Yongzheng Emperor, earning his trust due to his prudence, allowing him to navigate wisely.