A Monarch in Mourning

The year 1751—recorded as the 13th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign—marked one of the most turbulent periods in Qing Dynasty history. At its heart was the death of Empress Xiaoxianchun, the beloved consort of Emperor Qianlong, whose passing plunged the imperial court into chaos. Known for her virtue and wisdom, the empress had been a stabilizing force in the emperor’s life, and her sudden demise triggered a series of events that exposed deep fissures in Qing governance and social order.

What began as personal grief for the emperor spiraled into a nationwide crisis, with political purges, cultural clashes, and bureaucratic failures revealing the fragility of imperial authority. From the enforcement of mourning rituals to the shocking punishments of high-ranking officials, the events of 1751 would leave an indelible mark on the Qianlong era.

The Weight of a Haircut: When Grief Became Law

One of the most striking consequences of Empress Xiaoxianchun’s death was the strict enforcement of state mourning rituals—particularly the prohibition of haircuts. In Qing society, hairstyles were not merely a matter of personal preference but a potent symbol of political loyalty.

### The Origins of the Queue
When the Manchus established the Qing Dynasty in 1644, they imposed the “queue order,” requiring all Han Chinese men to shave their foreheads and braid the remaining hair into a single plait. This policy was brutally enforced under the slogan: “Lose your hair or lose your head.” Over a century later, the queue remained a charged political issue, and mourning periods intensified its significance.

### The Hundred-Day Edict
Following the empress’s death, Emperor Qianlong declared a 100-day mourning period during which all men were forbidden to cut their hair. Violators faced execution—a law that seemed unthinkable to defy. Yet, shockingly, officials began flouting the rule.

### The Fall of the Powerful
The crisis escalated when reports reached the emperor that even high-ranking officials had broken the taboo:
– Jiang Xinghan (a military commander) and Jin Wenchun (a prefect) were initially sentenced to death.
– Then came the bombshell: Zhou Xuejian, a senior河道总督 (River Governor), had also cut his hair.
– Most astonishingly, Serengge, a Manchu governor-general, and his subordinates followed suit.

The emperor’s wrath was catastrophic. Zhou and Serengge were ordered to commit suicide, while others were demoted or exiled. A simple act of grooming had become a capital offense, revealing the emperor’s growing paranoia and the regime’s rigid control over personal conduct.

The Princes’ Plight: A Father’s Wrath Turns Political

While the haircut scandal unfolded, Emperor Qianlong’s grief took another dark turn—this time toward his own sons. Suspicion clouded his judgment as he interpreted their behavior during the mourning period as signs of disloyalty.

### The Accusation Against Yonghuang
The emperor’s eldest son, Yonghuang, was publicly denounced for failing to display sufficient grief when meeting the empress’s coffin. Qianlong’s rebuke was scathing: “At 21 years old, you lack even basic filial piety!” The prince, whose mother had died years earlier, was stripped of succession rights.

### Yongzhang’s Downfall
The third prince, Yongzhang, faced similar accusations. The emperor’s declaration that neither son would inherit the throne crushed their futures. Both died young—Yonghuang at 23, Yongzhang at 26—their lives cut short by paternal condemnation.

This episode exposed the toxic intersection of personal grief and political power, where familial bonds were secondary to imperial authority.

Bureaucratic Collapse: When the State Failed to Mourn

The empress’s death also revealed startling incompetence within the Qing administration. Officials across departments neglected their duties, prompting a sweeping purge.

### The “Sick Leave” Scandal
– Li Tan, a high-ranking nobleman, feigned illness to avoid mourning rites. When ordered to appear, he arrived with acupuncture needles embedded in his skin—a ruse the emperor saw through instantly. He was stripped of his title.
– Pan Enqu, a provincial governor, delayed submitting condolences for months, sparking imperial fury.

### Institutional Blunders
– Mistranslations: A senior official misrendered “deceased empress” as “dowager empress,” a grave error that landed him in prison.
– Negligence: The Ministry of Works produced shoddy funeral artifacts, while the Ministry of Rites botched ceremonial protocols.

Qianlong’s response was ruthless: demotions, dismissals, and executions. The crises of 1751 became a pretext for broader reforms, as the emperor sought to reassert control over a faltering bureaucracy.

Legacy of a Fractured Year

The events of 1751 reshaped the Qianlong reign in profound ways:
1. Centralized Power: The emperor’s harsh punishments reinforced his absolute authority but sowed fear among officials.
2. Cultural Rigidity: The haircut executions underscored the Qing’s insistence on cultural conformity, even at the cost of lives.
3. Bureaucratic Reforms: The systemic failures prompted administrative overhauls, though corruption persisted.

Historians now view this period as a turning point—when Qianlong’s grief hardened into authoritarianism, foreshadowing the challenges that would later weaken the dynasty. The year 1751 stands as a cautionary tale of how personal tragedy, when wielded by unchecked power, can destabilize an empire.