Amidst the meandering Hutongs near Shichahai Lake in central Beijing north to the Forbidden City and in the shades of bending scholar trees, hides one of the most beautiful prince mansions in China: Prince Gong Mansion, whose two lords in the old days were amongst the most celebrated figures in Qing Dynasty: one of them is Prince Gong, brother of Emperor Xianfeng as well as a very important figure in the 19th century modernization of China. The other was the notoriously corrupt Manchu minister Heshen, of Niohuru clan, who claimed, in his serving Emperor Qianlong, to have gathered a wealth equivalent to the revenue of Qing government for 15 years.
On entering the back garden of the mansion through the baroque-style marble gate, I was especially impressed by the elegance and tranquility of it (Yes, tranquility, albeit that there was a large flock of tourists). Clear streams of waterfall poured down from the 'Taihu Stone' into the bat-shaped pond (which symbolizes the notion of prosperity) beneath, and it is said that when the gingko leaves turn yellow in autumn, they would drop into the pond and drift gently amidst the ripples; in beams of sunshine, the leaves would look as if they were pieces of gold clustered in a basin. Careful tourists would notice that whereas running water flows through Heshen's garden, there is no single drop of it to be found in the cloistered imperial garden in the Forbidden City, which fact later became one of the accusations against Heshen in bringing him to his downfall. However, history seemed to me too heavy a subject in such a romantic ambiance: I thought I could spend the whole afternoon half-lying on the bench in the water pavilion only to watch the ducks being chased by the geese in the lovely pond, and all the nuisance of life seemed to be blown away by the breeze to melt into the ripples.
Yet, I cannot help but once more think of that legendary figure who ordered this garden to be built, only to realize that I had felt by now more or less identified with Heshen: Although he was accused for being the most corrupt minister in Chinese history, compared to the Emperor, he was the one who really knew how to enjoy life. Despite all those traditional Chinese symbols that indicate wealth and fortune, the garden itself is not at all frivolous, but rather conveys an air of purity and serenity, and such is the magic of the place.
Moreover, Heshen might not have been the antagonist after all. To me, his figure was closer to that of an antihero. I was well conscious that Chinese official records are not always reliable, just as some scholars have pointed out, many of Heshen's treasures were given by Emperor Qianlong as gifts. Whether Heshen enriched himself avariciously or not, I feel almost sure that the main reason why Emperor Jiaqing, son of Qianlong, wanted to get rid of him was the fear for his overwhelming power in court rather than repulsiveness against corruption. It is still so common today that 'corrupt officials' are convicted only when they begin to threaten 'the balance of power' of the centre government.
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