The Legend of Emperor Qianlong

Author: Guo Chengkang / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-04-01
Features: Ordinary families, occasionally with unclear genealogies, are already considered unusual. Could it be that even the emperor, the most exalted ruler, has a family history that is not entirely clear? In fact, among ancient Chinese emperors, from Qin Shi Huang to the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties, those with unclear family histories were not rare. Take the so-called "First Emperor of the Ages," Qin Shi Huang, for example. Sima Qian, the historian, clearly stated that his biological father was not King Zhuangxiang of Qin but Lü Buwei, a wealthy merchant from Yangdi. After Qin Shi Huang became emperor, he exiled Lü Buwei to Sichuan, forcing him to drink poison and die. There are other examples of emperors with questionable family histories, such as the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. This man, who seized the throne from his nephew during the "Jingnan Rebellion," claimed to be the legitimate son of Empress Hogo, the Empress Dowager of Emperor Hongwu. However, in reality, Empress Hogo had no children, and the Yongle Emperor's mother was a concubine, with Empress Hogo merely serving as his foster mother. But whether it was Qin Shi Huang or the Yongle Emperor, the most bizarre family histories among ancient Chinese emperors probably belong to the Qianlong Emperor.
When it comes to the Qianlong Emperor, he is now a household name, known to all, even to children. This is largely thanks to modern media's promotion, of course, but the Qianlong Emperor himself possessed an undeniable legendary charm and allure, much of which stemmed from his mysterious family background. His birth was as strange as his family history. To this day, it remains unclear where he was born—was it the Yonghe Temple in the capital, or the Chengde Mountain Resort? It is difficult to say for sure. Who was his mother? Was she the Manchu concubine Nurgulü, or a Han Chinese maid from the Chengde Imperial Summer Villa named Li Jingu? This too remains a contentious mystery.
Did the Qianlong Emperor, as the rumor goes, belong to the "switching" scheme concocted by the Yongzheng Emperor, stolen from the home of Chen Geguo in Haining? If this rumor holds any weight, then not only would the Qianlong Emperor's mother be questionable, but his biological father would not even be from the Aisin Gioro family.
Enough said for now. Let us begin with the Qianlong Emperor's birthplace, aiming to shed light on the mysteries of his family history. If the evidence is insufficient or some aspects are difficult to clarify, we will not make unfounded assumptions but instead adopt a cautious approach, leaving those parts unresolved for now, awaiting further expert insights.
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