The Ascent of the He Clan in Late Imperial China

At the dawn of the Jiaqing era in 1796, the Qing Empire stood at a crossroads. The death of General Fukang’an—a seasoned commander who succumbed to exhaustion during military campaigns—created a power vacuum that would propel the ambitious He brothers into the spotlight. Heshen, the shrewd chief grand councilor, and his younger sibling Helin, a battle-hardened general, seized this moment to consolidate unprecedented influence.

Their rise was meteoric. With Emperor Qianlong (then retired as Supreme Emperor) granting Helin temporary military command, the brothers achieved a formidable duality of power: Heshen controlled civil administration while Helin dominated military affairs. Their coordinated dominance reached its zenith when Helin captured rebel leader Shi Sanbao, cementing their reputation as the empire’s indispensable power duo.

A Dynasty’s Favor and the Fragility of Power

The brothers’ golden age proved tragically brief. Within three months of his triumph, Helin perished at age 44 during the siege of Pinglong, struck down by miasma-induced illness. The loss devastated Heshen, who composed fifteen mournful elegies, including these poignant verses:

“Who will bury me when my time comes?”
“Five years apart in official seas, our letters carried by singing fish.”

Emperor Qianlong posthumously honored Helin with a first-class dukedom, state-sponsored ancestral worship, and the ceremonial title “Zhongzhuang” (Loyal and Valiant). Yet these honors masked critical differences between the siblings that would later unravel their legacy.

Contrasting Legacies: The Warrior and the Schemer

Historical analysis reveals striking contrasts:

1. Temperament: Helin embodied martial straightforwardness—a quality even Qianlong admired—while Heshen relied on bureaucratic cunning.
2. Integrity: The general maintained relative financial probity (“a warrior unmoved by wealth”), whereas the minister became synonymous with corruption, earning infamy as the Qing’s most avaricious official.
3. Symbiotic Relationship: Heshen’s political machinations cleared Helin’s path to promotion, while Helin’s military credibility shielded Heshen from critics like the influential Fukang’an.

The Domino Effect: Family Downfall Under Jiaqing

The brothers’ intertwined fates manifested cruelly after Qianlong’s death in 1799. Emperor Jiaqing, long resentful of Heshen’s influence, moved decisively:

– January 1799: Heshen was arrested, forced to hang himself, and his legendary wealth confiscated.
– Collateral Damage: Helin’s son Fengshen Yijin lost his inherited dukedom, the family shrine was destroyed, and their ancestral tablet removed from the Imperial Temple.
– Marriage Strategy Backfires: Heshen’s plan to secure power through marital alliances—including marrying Helin’s daughter to Qianlong’s grandson Mianqing—collapsed as the new emperor purged Heshen’s network.

The Human Dimension: Heshen’s Unconventional Marriage

Behind the political drama lay a surprising personal story. Heshen’s wife Fengshi (granddaughter of influential minister Yinglian) defied stereotypes of Qing elite marriages. Contrary to expectations of a libertine lifestyle, historical accounts suggest:

– Marital Loyalty: Despite having concubines (approved by Fengshi), Heshen maintained deep emotional fidelity to his wife.
– Historical Erasure: Like most Qing women without imperial connections or exceptional virtue (per Confucian “Three Obediences and Four Virtues” standards), Fengshi left scant official records.

The Final Reckoning: Jiaqing’s Strategic Triumph

Jiaqing’s meticulous four-phase campaign against Heshen reveals imperial politics at its most calculated:

1. Feigned Acquiescence (1796-1799): Publicly praising Heshen while secretly documenting his abuses.
2. Isolation Tactics: Appointing Heshen to oversee Qianlong’s funeral while cutting his communications.
3. Legal Onslaught: Encouraging officials like Hu Jitang to demand Heshen’s execution by lingchi (slow slicing).
4. Systemic Purge: Restructuring military and bureaucratic channels to prevent another power concentration.

Enduring Lessons from a Qing Dynasty Tragedy

The He brothers’ story encapsulates the perilous dynamics of late imperial Chinese politics:

– The Illusion of Permanence: Their rapid ascent and collapse illustrate how quickly imperial favor could shift between reigns.
– Structural Corruption: Heshen’s network—though temporarily effective—couldn’t survive the transition from Qianlong’s indulgent rule to Jiaqing’s reformist agenda.
– Historiographical Silence: The near-erasure of Fengshi’s story reflects traditional historiography’s neglect of women’s roles beyond prescribed virtues.

Modern scholars continue debating whether Helin’s earlier death spared him greater disgrace, or whether his military merits might have endured absent Heshen’s notoriety. What remains undeniable is how their intertwined fates exemplify the Chinese proverb: “When one rises, all rise; when one falls, all fall”—a timeless warning about the dangers of concentrated power.