Jonah Siegel

G383 Essay Three

December 12, 2015
A Memorial for the Qianlong Emperor
For your Radiant Highness in regards to the Zeng Jing Case:
When deciding how to deal with ones enemies, there are many paths one may take. In
most things, no one path is the easiest, and every decision we make can have consequences
which we cannot foresee. As the emperor of the glorious Qing dynasty, this is true of you more
perhaps than anyone else in the world. Though the Great Qing dynasty is strong, it is young. The
Zeng Jing Case, if it does nothing else, proves that there are many throughout China still do not
accept your imperial Mandate from Heaven. There is no question that Zeng Jing and Zhang Xi
committed treason. Zhang Xi did deliver, after all, a letter to your radiant highnesss general Yue
Zhongqi urging him to seize the chance to rise in revolt, and avenge the fates of the Song and
Ming.1 An act of this nature goes well beyond the limits of what I believe should be considered
acceptable discourse. Your father was a most compassionate and wise leader, however, and
through his unending wisdom he showed the traitors the errors of their ways. He understood,
most importantly, that he was leading our empire through a great turning point of history, and he
knew his decisions had the power to ensure prosperity and perhaps even our dynastys existence
for centuries to come. Despite the Yongzheng Emperors mercy and wisdom, however, the
dynastys power is still not secure. Zeng Jing committed treason against the Qing, and was not
only allowed free, but was actually rewarded. It is my opinion, your Holy Highness, that as the
new emperor you have a political as well as filial obligation to see him punished with the fullest
extent of the law.
The Analects of Confucius are one source in China we can always turn to when making a
decision. Their wisdom is eternal and everyone can appreciate their insight, from the poorest

1 Jonathan D. Spence, Treason by the Book (New York: Penguin Books, 2001), 7.

guanggun all the way up to the Son of Heaven. Furthermore, if the people see that you are
following Confucian practices and ideals, it will strengthen even more the legitimacy of your
rule. From the Analects of Confucius, The Master said: Lead them by political maneuvers,
restrain them with punishments: the people will become cunning and shameless. Lead them by
virtue, restrain them with ritual: they will develop a sense of shame and a sense of
participation.2 In other words, virtue is more important in a leader than political maneuvers and
ritual is more useful than punishment as a means of control over the people. The Analects
consistently reiterate the importance of virtue and ritual. They also state that he who rules by
virtue is like the polestar, which remains unmoving in its mansion while all other stars revolve
respectfully around it and that if one cannot govern the country by observing ritual and
showing deference, whats the use of ritual?3
Virtue can mean many things, however. The Yongzheng Emperor was virtuous in mercy
and thought that the people would read Awakening from Delusion and realize the extent of his
virtue.4 Though his intentions were pure and his judgment was sound, the book was inherently
flawed in ways he could not have foreseen. First, it circulated the treasonous writings of L
Liuliang more than ever before, and to people who would not have seen them otherwise. Second,
and most importantly, the fact that Zeng Jing had been allowed to live after committing treason
sent the message that the emperor was more scared of upsetting the public opinion than he was
committed to upholding the law. Examine, for instance, the case of Huang from the Ningxia
region in September of last year. Huang was a fotune-teller and medicine seller who had never

2 Confucius, Chapter 2 in The Analects of Confucius, trans. Simon Leys (New York, London:
W. W. Norton & Company, 1997), 6.
3 Confucious, Chapter 2, Chapter 4 in The Analects of Confucius, 6 16.
4 Spence, Treason by the Book, 158.

been known to be treasonous in thought or deed. Suddenly, after reading Awakening, he began to
circulate his own treasonous writings condemming the Qing and extolling the traitor L
Liuliang.5 Though the Yongzheng Emperor meant to be show virtue through his mercy, instead
the population saw it as cowardice and have since created more slander rather than desisting
from it.
Sometimes, justice and strength can be more virtuous than mercy. The Analects
commitment to ritual adherence shows that commitment to the rule of law is more important than
nearly anything else. There is no question that Zeng Jing and Zhang Xi committed treason. They
not only spoke slanderous lies about the Emperor, they explicitly attempted to incite revolt in one
of your most noble generals. Were it not for the Yongzheng Emperors impeccable judge of
character and wisdom in appointing General Yue, their lies could have caused serious damage. If
you show mercy and continue to allow these acts to go unpunished, it would not be seen as
virtue. Rather, I fear that it would send a message to the public that the Qing do not consider
treason to be a serious offense. It is true that punishment should not be excessive but it must
match the crime, and treason is a crime truly deserving of death, since it threatens our very
existence. Also consider that part of ritual is adherence to the rule of the law and the examples
set by our predecessors. During the Ming dynasty, treason was punished by death without
exception. I understand and agree with your highnesss desire to eliminate all public perception
of Manchus as foreign barbarians and immoral savages. In this instance, however, I believe that
the execution of Zeng Jing and Zhang Xi for treason will be seen as exactly what the Ming or
Song would have done and will send a message that the Qing Dynasty will continue to rule in the
just tradition of our predecessors.

5 Spence, Treason by the Book, 235-237.

This may seem somewhat in contradiction with the ideals of filial piety and continuity of
rule. Perhaps it is in some ways, however it is difficult to imagine anyone claiming that you
would be disrespecting your father by ordering the death of the man who committed treason
against him. On the contrary, I can think of no greater act of respect imaginable. Additionally,
though it is important to have consistency between emperors, it is perhaps equally important to
acknowledge that times change and each emperor must lead as he knows is virtuous in his time.
If every emperor acted in exactly the same way, there would be no reason to have an emperor at
all. Some may argue that executing Zeng Jing would be a sign that your rule is arbitrary or that
you are prone to be swayed by emotions over justice. This is nonsense. Zeng Jing is not an
innocent man and the people should know that any act of treason is punishable by death, no
matter how long has passed. This will increase respect for your leadership and you will be seen
as an emperor who will always be on the side of justice and order, even if it is not always the
easier decision.
One final issue that needs to be addressed is the matter of Zeng Jings Awakening from
Delusion. It has already been widely circulated throughout the empire, and it will be impossible
to immediately erase it from the public consciousness.6 My recommendation would be to use
whatever means necessary to convince Zeng Jing to make a public statement that he intentionally
inserted subversive messages into Awakening in order to further undermine the Qing. This will
bring public opinion further against him and provide even more reason beyond any doubt that
Zeng Jing is a dangerous traitor. It would also give a pretext for recalling all copies of
Awakening from public hands. It is true it may take many years before the book is completely
forgotten, but years are nothing compared to the centuries of discord it has the potential to sow. I
would make sure to remember, most Radiant Highness, that the success of the Qing dynasty is
6 Spence, Treason by the Book, 173-175.

dependent upon the people perceiving it as a legitimate successor to the Ming. Whatever path
you take, be sure to remember the Confucian principles of virtue and ritual. Be sure that your
actions are seen as honoring your father, even if they are not what the Yongzheng Emperor
would have done himself. Above all else, be firm in your conviction and do not waver from your
course. Of course in the end, the decision is in your hands, and I know that you will do what is
best for the people, for the empire, and for the Qing.