Treason by the Book
Encyclopedia
Treason by the Book, by Jonathan Spence
is a fast-paced historical
account of the Zeng Jing(曾靜) case which took place during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of China
, around the 1730s. Zeng Jing, a failed degree candidate heavily influenced by the seventeenth-century scholar Lü Liuliang
in October 1728 attempted to incite Yue Zhongqi(岳仲琪), Governor-general of Shaanxi-Sichuan, to rebellion. He gave a long list of accusations against Yongzheng, including the murder of the Kangxi Emperor and the killing of his brothers. This triggered a series of investigations which captured the attention of Yongzheng, who was eager to make his ascent to the throne seem legitimate. Highly concerned with the implications of the case, Yongzheng had Zeng Jing brought to Beijing for trial. But instead of imposing an immediate death sentence, the emperor began an intensive, written conversation with Zeng Jing. Zeng Jing eventually wrote a confession of error and received pardon for his crimes. The emperor then decided to circulate the relevant documents, including the original note, nationwide as a civics lesson for his subjects.
However, Yongzheng's sudden death caused a turn of events as Yongzheng's successor
, sensitive to the potentially defamatory material that was making its rounds across the country, went against his father's wishes in recalling and destroying his father's response, the Dayi Juemi Lu (大義覺迷錄 "Great righteousness resolving confusion"), as well as executing Zeng. Lü Liuliang
's coffin was ordered to be opened, and his corpse was mutilated in public.
Jonathan Spence
Jonathan D. Spence is a British-born historian and public intellectual specializing in Chinese history. He was Sterling Professor of History at Yale University from 1993 to 2008. His most famous book is The Search for Modern China, which has become one of the standard texts on the last several...
is a fast-paced historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
account of the Zeng Jing(曾靜) case which took place during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, around the 1730s. Zeng Jing, a failed degree candidate heavily influenced by the seventeenth-century scholar Lü Liuliang
Lü Liuliang
Lü Liuliang was a Han Chinese from Tongxiang in Zhejiang province. He was born under the Ming Dynasty but died under the Manchu-led Qing....
in October 1728 attempted to incite Yue Zhongqi(岳仲琪), Governor-general of Shaanxi-Sichuan, to rebellion. He gave a long list of accusations against Yongzheng, including the murder of the Kangxi Emperor and the killing of his brothers. This triggered a series of investigations which captured the attention of Yongzheng, who was eager to make his ascent to the throne seem legitimate. Highly concerned with the implications of the case, Yongzheng had Zeng Jing brought to Beijing for trial. But instead of imposing an immediate death sentence, the emperor began an intensive, written conversation with Zeng Jing. Zeng Jing eventually wrote a confession of error and received pardon for his crimes. The emperor then decided to circulate the relevant documents, including the original note, nationwide as a civics lesson for his subjects.
However, Yongzheng's sudden death caused a turn of events as Yongzheng's successor
Qianlong Emperor
The Qianlong Emperor was the sixth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. The fourth son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he reigned officially from 11 October 1735 to 8 February 1796...
, sensitive to the potentially defamatory material that was making its rounds across the country, went against his father's wishes in recalling and destroying his father's response, the Dayi Juemi Lu (大義覺迷錄 "Great righteousness resolving confusion"), as well as executing Zeng. Lü Liuliang
Lü Liuliang
Lü Liuliang was a Han Chinese from Tongxiang in Zhejiang province. He was born under the Ming Dynasty but died under the Manchu-led Qing....
's coffin was ordered to be opened, and his corpse was mutilated in public.
External links
- Review in New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/09/arts/09BOOK.html