The Legend of Jiaqing

This film (drama)Also known as嘉庆传奇，is aMainland ChinaProducerbeauty live，At2005Released in year 。The dialogue language isMandarin，Current Douban rating6.3(For reference only)。

Accompanied by the bell tolling for Emperor Qianlong’s abdication, the "Kang-Qian Prosperity" came to a close. Emperor Jiaqing, a tragic emperor in the history of the Qing Dynasty, inherited a "wounded" empire from his father and spent his reign amidst turmoil. In the 267-year history of the Qing Dynasty, Jiaqing’s 25 years on the throne were but a brief chapter in a long timeline, yet he lived through a dramatic and tumultuous era. The Kang-Qian zenith was reached, while the Qing Dynasty began to decline; the Western world had shaken off the shackles of feudalism and was rapidly advancing towards capitalist colonial plunder, bringing crises and challenges to the still dimly-lit ancient Eastern nation. “It is only through difficulties that a hero's true character is revealed.” Yongyan ascended the throne but was still firmly under the control of the retired emperor. Under the sharp gaze of the retired emperor, Yongyan found being emperor very difficult; he had to endure the corruption of the treacherous official He Shen, even unable to stay by the side of his beloved empress when she fell gravely ill, and when she passed away, he dared not show his sorrow, fearing that He Shen would report to the retired emperor that he was overly emotional and unfilial. It was under these harsh circumstances that Jiaqing realized the various issues leading to corruption in the governance. While hiding his talents, he secretly planned to rectify the harmful practices that resulted from his father's late reliance on He Shen. As soon as the retired emperor passed away, Jiaqing swiftly crushed the disastrous He Shen group, uncovering the largest embezzlement case in the history of the Qing Dynasty. With the help of virtuous officials like Wang Jie, Dong Gao, Zhu Gui, and Dai Quheng, he resolutely implemented reforms to governance, calming social unrest, advocating frugality and thrift, and scorned jade and antiquities, contrasting with his father’s lavish habits, thus paving a new path for the Qing emperors' frugality and simplicity. Jiaqing regarded bureaucratic corruption as a major threat, executing and demoting several officials, achieving noticeable results. As one large embezzlement scandal after another was exposed, and impeachment memorials were presented to him, his shock transformed into deep worry, which then turned into fear. Despite understanding that his father's late reliance on He Shen had caused governance corruption and rampant bribery, he was determined to eradicate corruption. However, once the lid was lifted, what Jiaqing saw was not just a few corrupt officials, but the entire foundation of the empire rotting. “The Qing cannot perish at my hands; the ancestral foundation cannot just decline like this,” Jiaqing sighed while mourning his deceased wife, Empress Xitala. From then on, Jiaqing dared not implement sweeping reforms as he had in the early days of his rule, especially since many cases involved his father's reputation. Living in the shadow of his father, Yongyan naturally dared not touch matters that would tarnish the former emperor's legacy. The brief resurgence he once hoped for after correcting the wrongs quickly vanished, leading to more corruption rather than less. As honest officials saw the emperor become lenient, they became increasingly anxious. Hong Liangji was the first to step forward to openly address the issues, writing a memorial called “A Thousand Words” advocating for major reforms in governance, touching on Jiaqing’s and the Qing’s deep concerns. Burdened by his heavy heart, Jiaqing grew angry and imprisoned Hong Liangji. However, when the sycophantic officials suggested executing Hong Liangji, the taciturn emperor did not approve; he only exiled him to Xinjiang. Later, he even decided against the exile and allowed Hong to return home, hanging his “A Thousand Words” on his desk as a motto. In truth, Jiaqing had long felt this “pain” but dared not admit it. As the emperor of the Qing, he was conflicted, burdened by anxiety and irritability. Those he once trusted began to die or succumb to corruption, with orders from him leading to their execution. He grew increasingly isolated and lonely, with floods, oppression by officials leading to peasant revolts, and even uprisings occupied the Forbidden City—things that had never happened since the founding of the Qing becoming a series of humiliating disasters hitting him. The coastal areas were also restless; pirates occasionally harassed the great nation, and the British Empire sought to “root” itself along the coasts of his empire, engaging in trade with his subjects. Jiaqing upheld the preservation of ancestral foundations as his ultimate purpose—how could he rest easy with such occurrences? Moreover, foreigners were even transporting opium into the Qing ports, and corrupt local officials accepted bribes, allowing the opium trade to run rampant. The prevalence of opium deeply troubled Jiaqing, with princes and nobles becoming addicted, neglecting their duties, and even the eunuchs in the palace indulging in opium. Yongyan saw his empire heading towards decline; he had once been full of ambition and confidence, wanting to uphold the ancestral foundations, hoping for revival, correcting abuses, and reforming governance. Ultimately, he found it impossible to turn back the tide of decline. After 25 years of seasons passing, bearing the empire's rise and fall, he exerted all his energy through storms, not understanding why he couldn’t avert the impending collapse, with more and more cases arising and the problems from floods worsening. Natural disasters and man-made calamities caused him headaches with every report he received. He ultimately failed to fulfill his ambition to reverse the Qing’s decline, leaving behind a heavy heart and unresolved regrets for the successor: corruption, opium, and floods must be eradicated, they have to be eradicated! This was also his own unfulfilled wish to eliminate them.