On September 15, 1813, it was a sunny day in Beijing.

Zhang Dayong, the secretary of the cabinet, took turns at home today, very leisurely. In the afternoon, he and his friends drove to Fayuan and Zaohua Temple to enjoy the chrysanthemums, lingering in the autumn scenery, until the sunset in the West Mountain, and then separated from friends. However, the sudden thunder and lightning that night made him uneasy.

On the 16th, the weather became overcast and a strong wind blew. At dawn, Zhang Dayong endured the cold and entered the office as usual, and when he passed by Zhengyangmen, he noticed an abnormality. The officers and men were heavily armed and looked nervous, as if they were facing a great enemy. When he walked to the Waidonghua Gate, he asked a street soldier what had happened, and the street soldier replied, "The old man still doesn't know?" Last night, the palace searched and killed all night! ”

It turned out that at noon yesterday, two bandits attacked the Forbidden City. Now, the army has entered the palace, and the gates of the capital are closed. When Zhang Dayong arrived at the Neidonghua Gate, the gate was closed, and the officials huddled together to inquire about each other's news, like a swarm of headless flies.

Just like the annoying weather, people's hearts are also clouded.

At that time, Emperor Jiaqing was still on his way back to Beijing from Rehe, and he didn't know what was going on in the palace. How many bandits are in this group? No comrades outside? Will there be another attack on the Forbidden City? For a time, the officials and people in the capital fell into a panic.

On the 17th, the weather was still gloomy. Officers and soldiers went from house to house to search for bandits, and as long as there were people with strange whereabouts, they were immediately arrested. The city's gates are closed, news is blocked, and people feel that danger is lurking but they are unable to obtain information, which makes the city a hotbed of rumors.

At noon, there was news that the saint got on the car and drove back to Beijing, and a Baylor looked from afar at the Donghua Gate Tower, cleared the streets, and opened the city gates, but waited empty. At night, there was a commotion outside the forbidden city, the whole city was boiling, some people said that Taiping Lake was fighting, some people said that the West Chang'an Gate was breached, and some people rode white horses and galloped on the streets, shouting "there are thieves"! In the middle of the night, I found that there was not a single bandit at all. There was a family in the northern city, the husband was a soldier guarding the forbidden city, and his wife heard the noise and was so frightened that she hanged herself.

On the 18th, the north wind howled, and the soldiers stationed there froze to the point that they had no "human color". The manhunt continues, and the rumors don't stop. However, there was good news that the officers and soldiers had captured a thief named Lin Qing in Songjiazhuang, near the capital, who was said to be the mastermind of the attack on the Forbidden City.

On the 19th, the sky finally cleared. Jiaqing returned to the capital, and the situation stabilized. This ambitious emperor promulgated the "Edict of Guilt" at the Qianqing Gate, saying that this incident had become "something that had not happened in the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties", and his indignation jumped on the paper.

On the 20th, Jiaqing summoned all the princes and princes and ministers to give a stern lecture, and said sadly: "How strong I was before the Qing Dynasty, this is why I have this now!" ”

The Qing court gradually figured out the reason: a group of rebellious people called the "Tianli Sect" agreed to rebel on September 15. They divided their troops into several routes and made chaos in Huaxian County, Henan, Cao County, Shandong and other places. One of them, led by Lin Qing, colluded with the eunuchs to directly attack the Forbidden City.

The Tenrikyo incident itself was not a big deal, and the battle in the capital lasted only one day before it ended. On the sixth day of the incident, the search and arrest operation stopped, the army also withdrew from the capital, and the arrested thieves were escorted to the vegetable market to rectify the law. Everything is back on track, but the panic and shock in people's hearts cannot be dissipated for a long time.

Portrait of Emperor Jiaqing. Source: Internet

01

On September 23, Jiaqing personally interrogated the "thief leader" Lin Qing, trying to find out what was wrong with his empire.

In prison, Lin Qing almost confessed his life: Where does he live? What have you done? When did I join? When did you have the intention of rebelling? Who are in the same party? What is the plan? …… There is no shortage of exaggerations, and there are also things made up to beg for mercy. However, when compared with the testimony of other key criminals, the facts are basically clear.

The eighteenth year of Jiaqing was the year of the township examination, and the matter of Tianlijiao naturally became a hot topic among students in Beijing. Those who have won fame and fame have begun to think about ways to eliminate "evil cults," and they may have bet on the topic of the imperial examination. Those who worry about the world are more concerned about Jiaqing's guilty edict, speculating whether the Qing court is brewing a reform, and what can they do in it? Later, there was a scholar named Sheng Dashi who collected information from all sides and wrote the book "Jing Yi Ji", which was a bestseller.

The confession of the prisoner, the archives of the Military Aircraft Department, the living notes of the emperor, the archives of the palace, the notes of the readers...... It can be said that history has left us with a lot of information to understand the Tenrikyo religion.

It was a hidden, chaotic, unknown world.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, secret religions of various names sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, breaking ground in the north and south of the great river, forming a vibrant folk world. In addition to the famous White Lotus Sect, there are also Luozu, Nanwu, Jingkong, Mixed Yuan, Mahayana, Bagua, Qingyang, Hongyang and other religions, with many names and too many to mention. As can be seen from the name, most of the sects adapted the Buddhist treasure scrolls and created sects.

They are officially hostile, cannot see the light of day, are not allowed to act openly in temples, and are not allowed to swagger and hold ceremonies. In most cases, a master holds a treasure scroll and takes a group of disciples and grandchildren to hold small gatherings at home to spread the teachings.

The spiritual world of the upper-class elite is very vast, and they can pretend to be the family and the country in their hearts, and if their lives are unsatisfactory, they can also find meaning from the difficult and profound Buddhism. The people at the bottom don't understand literature and ink, they don't have the ideal of self-cultivation and governing the country, and it is difficult to be elegant when they say and think, but it doesn't mean that they don't want to speak. Secret religion gives them a chance to speak under the table.

At that time, there was a belief that was prevalent in all sects. There is a god named "Childless Mother", who is the ancestor of all people. However, her children wandered in the red dust and lost their nature, so she sent people down to save the world and let the children return to the "vacuum hometown" as soon as possible.

The faithful divide history into three periods: Qingyang (past), Hongyang (present), and Baiyang (future). The Mother of Birth sent the Buddha of Burning Lamp, Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddha Maitreya respectively to rule the human world. Now, that is, in the Red Sun Period, the "Terror Tribulation", that is, the "White Sun Tribulation", is coming, sweeping the world, Maitreya Buddha was born, leading people to drive away the darkness and win the light. In the catastrophe, only the believers who have no mother can survive.

Their world is simple, a tragic end, and a prophecy that ends suffering.

The ritual of salvation is simpler. Believers only need to face the rising sun and recite the eight-character scripture "Vacuum hometown, no biological parents". Complex points require meditation and incense so that you can be blessed.

The Buddha of the lamp in a Song Dynasty painting. Source: Internet

Generally speaking, the masters are people with "craft". They roamed the countryside or the fringes of the city, either to heal the sick or to teach boxing to lure people into the church. When practicing medicine, acupuncture is used, or massage is used, or cross-knee sitting is taught, and most of the patients are apprenticed to teachers after they have recovered from their illness. Teaching boxing can strengthen the body, can be used in gang fights, and is also an art to earn a life.

Initiation and expulsion are very casual. Those who want benefits will leave when they find more effective spells, and those who are afraid of the government will cut off their seats when they are under pressure. Some disciples went to other villages and developed another group of believers, and he became another sect leader. He may change his name, or he may respect his master from afar, using a compound name, such as "Laojunmen Ligua Sect is also known as Yihemen", "Dongfang Zhen Hexagram is also known as Longhua Huijiao". The leader of the sect has died, and a new person has taken the throne, and he may also change his name. One teaches many, one more, and there are countless branches, and all living beings are entangled in it.

Among the congregation, there are poor and rich, Han Chinese, Manchus, rural and urban. The dense small society formed by blood and geography was entrenched at the bottom of the empire. They have one thing in common: they have not passed the imperial examination to gain fame.

The emperor who worked hard to govern the country and the scholars who worried about the country and the people condescendingly looked at the corners of society. In their eyes, folk religion is a cult, a potential opponent of order, and a social malaise that must be eliminated.

In fact, most of the members of the sect live a miserable life, practicing boxing, fasting, and reciting mantras day after day, looking forward to the arrival of the catastrophe. There was a great flood in the east, a shortage of food in the west, and there was no money in the family, all of which could be signs of a great calamity, but they could always get by.

Until a restless man aroused the fears and desires in their hearts, telling them that the end of the world was coming, and that it was time to earn the light.

02

Lin Qing, the person who shook the capital, was essentially a hooligan.

He grew up in Songjiazhuang, near Gyeonggi, and learned to read and write as a child. At the age of 17, he became an apprentice in a pharmacy and had some skills in seeing a doctor. He has worked as a clerk, as a husband, as a teahouse, as a secretary of the yamen, as a long-term attendant, and as a small business. Tiannan and Haibei have all broken through, been to the customs outside, and also to Jiangsu, the most common place to stay is still the Gyeonggi area.

He has a bunch of stinky problems, prostitution, gambling, alcoholism, corruption, fraud and other bad things have also done a lot. If you make a little money, you will immediately squander it, and then find another job, and so on. No money, no long-term plan, but it can't stop.

Such people and secret religions can be said to be attracted to each other, and they are a natural pair.

The sect is mixed and advocates mutual assistance. Here, the homeless can have a sense of belonging, and the good deeds can join in the fun. The most important thing is that the sect gave Lin Qing an organizational structure that could accumulate money and a clear long-term goal.

On the other hand, Lin Qing was a lively mind, able to speak, literate, and knew some medicinal herbs, and was a good missionary. The vast number of congregants are distributed in all corners of the countryside and cities, and they have relocated to their land, and it is people like Lin Qing who can break the isolation of the people at the bottom, connect them, and see their own strength.

At that time, there were many sects in the Gyeonggi area. At the beginning, Lin Qing joined the Ronghua Society, worshipping the sun on weekdays, reciting charms, and avoiding the inspection of the government. Gradually, his ambitions grew, and he drove out the original leader. He himself said that it was because he "could speak" that others wanted him to be the head of the sect. After gaining a firm foothold, he quickly contacted other sects and unified, absorbed, and integrated the Baekyang, Qingyang, and Kangua religions near Gyeonggi.

Lin Qing's eloquence was very good, he persuaded people to join the church, paid the blessing money, promised to repay ten times more, and lived a comfortable life. However, there is still a lot of potential to be tapped in the sect, and he doesn't want to be mixed up like this, as he said to his disciples: "There is no blessing to be a peaceful people." ”

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Lin Qing, who was already the head of the Baiyang sect, went south to northern Henan and became acquainted with Li Wencheng and Feng Keshan, who were from Huaxian County. Li Wencheng knows a little about astronomy and can speak well; Feng Keshan is a boxer and ambitious. All three are restless personalities who are keen to unify the surrounding sects. Since then, Lin Qing has traveled south many times, peddling his charms and opinions. Once, Li Wencheng quoted Lin Qing's views in his "Lectures", defeated his master, obtained the scriptures treasured by his master, and seized the right to teach.

Lin Qing and Li Wencheng fused their ideas together and established a new Bagua Sect organization. Lin Qing's subordinates are called the Kan Hexagram Sect, and he is the leader that everyone believes; Li Wencheng's newly acquired sect is the Zhen Hexagram Sect; Feng Keshan was pulled into the Big Three and was the leader of the Hexagram Sect.

As his power grew, Lin Qing extended his tentacles to some down-and-out upper-class people.

In the early years of Jiaqing, the life of the banner people became increasingly difficult, and even the families of officials were not spared. There is a Han army banner man named Cao Lun, who has four walls at home, and only wears a shabby robe when he goes out on errands, and he is not covered at home. Lin Qing met Cao Lun in Jiangsu, and the two were both people who worked hard outside, and they hit it off at first sight.

In the spring of the twelfth year of Jiaqing (1807), Cao Lun was sick and bedridden, and one day he suddenly heard a knock on the door, and when he opened the door, he saw that it was Lin Qing. Lin Qing said enthusiastically: "Cao Gongzi is so cold, although Qing is thin and weak, but there is a lack of wealth and righteousness. "Immediately took out the platinum number of yi. Cao Lun was grateful. Soon, Lin Qing sent someone to bring clothes. After Cao Lun recovered from his illness, the two became brothers. Since then, if Cao Lun has difficulties in life, Lin Qing will fully support him.

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Cao Lun was promoted to the capital of the Dushi Battalion, and went to meet Lin Qing, but he was sorry that he had not been able to repay the money. Lin Qing said in a mysterious way: "The wealth of the Qing Dynasty is given by the gentleman." Cao Lun didn't know what he meant. Lin Qingping retreated left and right, and said to Cao Lun: "The servants are young and lonely, and because they meet strangers to teach magic skills, those who ask for everything will gradually become rich. Today, he is taught to the public, and he is recommended as the leader of the Kan Sect, leading the gossip and nine palaces. Subsequently, Lin Qing mentioned that there were good deeds and said that he gathered a crowd to swagger and test Cao Lun's mind.

When it came to secret religions, Cao Lun naturally hesitated, and replied again and again: "Although Lun is not talented, how can he be a person who is unrighteous?" Ann is saved when he is poor and dying, and he does not know what to report, but he is framed by the opposite? May my son not be jealous. ”

Subsequently, Lin Qing taught Cao Lun the eight-character mantra, saying that he could get rid of poverty. After a long time, Cao Lun found that the spell did not work, and some sect members told him to bow down to the sect leader in person to achieve it. So, Cao Lun took his son to Songjiazhuang to serve Lin Qing as a teacher.

Lin Qing befriended Cao Lun because he wanted to use Cao Lun's power for personal gain, such as entering the city to buy rice in the name of soldiers. Cao Lun also got closer and closer to Lin Qing out of the dual psychology of gratitude and seeking wealth. Later, Lin Qing wanted to invite him to participate in the rebellion, but Cao Lun, as the fourth rank official of the imperial court, was still waiting, "It is said that if the matter is successful, you can get a big official, and if you fail, you will not be affected by yourself."

Around the same time, the eunuch Liu Decai also joined the church. The eunuchs did not live in isolation in the palace, on the contrary, they maintained close ties with their relatives, and were the link between the palace and the countryside. After Liu Decai joined the church, he often coaxed some lower-level eunuchs to apprentice, telling them that they would not eat or drink or make money, and that they would still have money. There were two eunuchs who received a tael of silver on the first day of every month.

The most surprising thing is that the Qing dynasty clan Haikang also joined Lin Qing's sect. The addition of these people made Lin Qing's ambition bigger and bigger.

The true appearance of the eunuchs of the Qing Dynasty. Source: Internet

03

We can't be sure exactly when Lin Qing had the intention of rebelling, and when the name of the Heavenly Doctrine was officially established. When Lin Qing unified the Bagua Sect, the trend of rebellion was already brewing.

Standing at the pinnacle of his life, Lin Qing may want to emulate the predecessors of the White Lotus Sect and make an amazing career. He declared to his disciples that the Red Sun Tribulation was imminent, and "the White Sun should be prosperous". He didn't want to stimulate the congregation with just numb desires, but directly told them that the end times were coming, and it was time to save themselves.

Lin Qing vigorously expanded the number of congregational members and the money of filial piety, promising that these donations would bring rewards in the future. "For every penny, one hectare of land, several stones of grain, and an official position. Fill in the number book, write the contract and piece of paper, and submit it to the person as evidence. "A simple means of collecting money.

He swore to Li Wencheng and Feng Keshan, and called himself the king of heaven, the king of man, and the king of the earth. A simple and ancient way of forming alliances.

Li Wencheng called himself "Li Zicheng's reincarnation" and was the future ruler. And Lin Qing is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, and during the reign of the king of people, like the Confucian saints, he helped Li Wencheng. An emperor, a saint. A simple political and religious system.

Lin Qing also thought that his title was not enough, and said that he was the "reincarnation of Tai Bai Xing", and called himself the "reincarnation" of the surname Liu, and the congregation respected him as "Master Liu", and also wrote a poem: "Waiting for the north water to return to the Han Emperor, the earth is only one pass." ”

Where there are more people, the prevailing truth becomes. To persuade the elite to rebel, perhaps it is necessary to know the righteousness of the world, or to manipulate the classics. But for a group of people who have never read a book and are full of fear for the future, a promise of wealth, a god with boundless power, and a powerful surname are enough to bind them together.

In the eighteenth year of Jiaqing (1813), the rumors have been released: the catastrophe is about to appear. Isolated denominations were united, their heads gathered to discuss important matters, and the faithful went out into the people to solicit as many Protestants as possible. This year is undoubtedly a good opportunity. The border areas of Zhili, Henan, and Shandong provinces have been hit by drought for two consecutive years, many fields have been deserted, and famine is spreading. It is in line with the vision of the last days.

In July of this year, Lin Qing, Li Wencheng and others gathered at Henan Daokou to discuss the plan.

At that time, Lin Qing got a treasure scroll - "The Three Buddhas Should Tribulate the Tongguan Tongshu", which has a sentence "Mid-Autumn Festival in August, Mid-Autumn Festival in August, yellow flowers bloom all over the ground". So everyone discussed the 15th of August, but the "Constitution of the Times" promulgated by the Qing court did not include a leap August, and the date of the uprising was changed to 15th September.

The crossing meeting was filled with a warm, optimistic and even eerie atmosphere. Each group was given a goal. Lin Qing invaded Beijing, Li Wencheng occupied Huaxian County, Henan, and Feng Keshan captured Shandong. On the day of the uprising, everyone had to wear white scarves on their heads, with the code word "victory", and every time they killed someone, they had to shout "victory" to gain strength. After the success of the uprisings in Shandong and Henan, they immediately supported Beijing.

Obviously, they were extremely confident that the city would be conquered and the Qing soldiers would be repulsed, and Lin Qing even boasted about Haikou: "We have taken the capital division, and we are not afraid that the emperor will not go to the eastern part of the country." ”

In fact, just as everyone was looking forward to the wonderful world after the end of the world, the fire of the uprising was already in great danger.

In July, in Jinxiang, Shandong, a meeting of Tianli believers was discovered. The prefectural order quickly wrote a report, which was submitted layer by layer, and returned to the governor. Two weeks later, the magistrate, who had received the order, caught someone and knew that a group of people were preparing to rebel. The magistrate asked the squires to be prepared and vigilant against rebellion, and also intensified the search and arrest.

Secrecy is very poor. The gentry living in the countryside saw the lights and plots, the blacksmiths reported that weapons were being built on a large scale, and the timid people heard their relatives and friends talk about the uprising...... In fact, before the uprising, many people were aware of the flames of rebellion.

Zhu Xian is Lin Qing's apprentice, and his family is the coat of Zhenglanqi, which is under the control of Prince Yu. His participation in the cult was discovered by his family very early, and even the entire rebellion plan became known. He had a nephew who worked as a hired hand in Prince Yu's mansion, and immediately told the palace guards, who said that this matter was not his responsibility, but he still reported it to the prince. When the prince found out, he did not believe it.

Later, the nephew found another clansman in the church, Zhu Rui, and wrote a testimony to be handed over to the prince. Zhu Rui felt embarrassed and refused to act, and his wife told him: "All you can do is tell the prince." If the denunciation succeeds, then all is well. If not, we'd better run away. So, Zhu Rui rode his donkey into the city slowly, and by the time he denounced it, the Forbidden City had fallen into civil strife.

The Qing system was not closed, there were too many channels to learn about the rebellion in advance, and the bloated institutions were inefficient. Even if the Jinxiang County Order, which succeeded in containing the rebellion, the response could not be called rapid.

At the end of August, the Tianli Sect in Huaxian County, Henan Province, leaked the news in the process of casting ordnance and weapons, and the magistrate led troops to sneak attack, and Li Wencheng and others were caught off guard and arrested and imprisoned. Li Wencheng's subordinates were forced to act in advance, rescued Li Wencheng, and quickly captured Huaxian.

In this way, the Tenrikyo uprising was launched early.

The Tenrikyo uprising was very hasty. Source: Film and television stills

04

When Huaxian County, Henan Province fell into the flames of war, Lin Qing's squad was sharpening their knives.

His troubles came mainly from within.

On the 12th of September, the believers divided into small groups, disguised as merchants and vendors, carrying white cloths and weapons, entered the capital. Some people have not seen the towering walls of the Forbidden City, and they are afraid. For example, Lin Qing's subordinate Li Wu was supposed to bring 70 people and prepare fifty steel knives, but only more than 40 people entered the city. In their confessions, one of the brothers who had retreated said: "We two brothers will discuss that if we do not accept him, he will kill us. In September, we really didn't go to Lin Qing's house. ”

On the last night, one of the leaders said to the people, "If you go to this thing, you will die, and if you don't go, you will die." If you can get it, everyone will be rich. "Many people are frightened as soon as they enter Beijing, and the more they think about it, the more scared they become, and they stop to drink from time to time to strengthen their courage and find excuses to shirk. On September 15, there were only about 100 people who arrived at Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate.

Floor plan of the Forbidden City. Source: Internet

At noon, two eunuchs from Donghua Gate walked towards the palace gate, and the rebels drew their weapons and rushed to the palace. When five or six insurgents rushed in, the gatekeepers closed the gate effortlessly, and the others were shut out and could only run wildly. Many people left white cloths and knives on the side of the road and fled to Songjiazhuang, where Lin Qing was located. It can be seen that the uprising was hasty.

The people who went in had no way out, they fought for their lives, and they could only hope to find Simon's teammates. But in the end, the number was not good, and all of them were captured.

Xihuamen rushed in fifty or sixty people. They closed the palace gate to repel the officers and soldiers, and at the same time climbed the tower and planted the white flag. A group of elites marched towards the palace where the emperor lived, and started a fierce white-knuckle battle with the palace guards. After hearing the news, the princes, Gege, and concubines in the palace all fled with their heads in their hands, shouting and screaming, and the palace suddenly fell into chaos.

Three insurgents climbed over the palace wall and tried to jump into it. The prince Min Ning, the future Daoguang Emperor, immediately asked his retinue to fetch waist knives and shotguns, and when the guns came, he opened fire on an insurgentist who was climbing the wall, hitting one and another falling. Min Ning ran to another courtyard, saw a leader holding a white flag, and shot again.

Soon, the firearms battalion of the Qing army arrived and fought fiercely with this group of rebels who did not know the height of the sky and the height of the earth at Longzongmen. The rebels were desperate and scattered into hiding, and one of the eunuchs was not found out until a few days later, pretending to be doing something. By this time, the situation had been decided, the insurgents were captured one after another, and some chose to commit suicide. Only a few people hid well, took advantage of the darkness, climbed the palace wall, and escaped by luck.

There is a firearms battalion in the Qing people's painting "Map of the Battle of Annan in Pingding". Source: Internet

Poorly equipped, inexperienced, and outnumbered, the Tenrikyo uprising could not have succeeded from the beginning. The Tianli followers who entered the Forbidden City were either killed or captured, and those who escaped were also captured. They were less than a hundred, but they killed more than 100 palace guards, which can be regarded as adding a bit of tragedy to this child's playful uprising.

Subsequently, Lim Ching was arrested, and Cheonrikyo followers were being searched for throughout Gyeonggi. On the other side, the Qing army made every effort to encircle and suppress the Tianlijiao rebel army in Henan and Shandong.

After the rebels occupied Huaxian, they killed officials, slaughtered wealthy households, hoarded food, absorbed rebels, and pacified the inhabitants of the city, and Huaxian County suddenly changed from 10,000 to 60,000. The rebels often raided the countryside, where many of the squires had already organized their forces to resist. Since the Tenrikyo religion believed that only believers could be saved, they did not refrain from using violence, and after plundering, a large number of hungry people were created, but they expanded their ranks.

For some surrendered areas, the Tenrikyo "did not burn and kill, but invited people to buy people's hearts", as long as they also raised the white flag and rebelled against the imperial court. However, after the arrival of the Qing army, these people often escaped, and even took the initiative to help the Qing army exterminate the rebels.

The biggest problem is that the rebels have no strategic thinking, and after being frustrated, they often don't know what to do, and after being attacked, they only know how to take a defensive position, and finally they are besieged.

At the beginning of November, Li Wencheng led part of his team to attack Shandong, leaving a team to guard the city. The Qing army set up a fort outside the city, "dug tunnels", and hung Lin Qing's head outside the camp tent to deter the rebels. The rebels were unmoved and repeatedly thwarted the Qing army's attacks. One of the soldiers defending the city shouted contemptuously to the enemy: "If you want to break my city, you must have 200,000 soldiers!" The officer shot him in the left arm, and the soldier pulled out the arrow, still fighting. Just as the rebel army concentrated all its strength to resist the enemy who attacked the city, there was a loud bang, and the southwest and west walls were bombarded by the Qing army.

Li Wencheng's army that broke through was also trapped. Someone lured Li Wencheng to surrender with a rich reward, and Li Wencheng shouted: "Li Wencheng is here, if he wants to kill, he will kill, and he will never surrender!" In the end, dozens of soldiers embraced their leader and calmly took justice with Li Wencheng.

In mid-December, the Tenrikyo uprising ended.

05

The Tianlijiao uprising was not a successful uprising, but the shock it had on the Qing court, especially the psychological impact on Jiaqing, was not insignificant.

At the beginning of Jiaqing's accession to the throne, state power was still in the hands of Qianlong. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that the prosperity of the Qing Empire was already on the decline. The number of teeth is increasing, the population crisis is emerging, and more and more people have to feed an acre of land. The imperial examination has also gradually become ossified, with more and more candidates, but fewer and fewer people are admitted.

In the fourth year of Jiaqing (1799), Jiaqing killed He Shen with the power of thunder, confiscated family property, and rectified the rule of officials. In the ninth year of Jiaqing (1804), the rebellion of the White Lotus Sect was pacified, and Jiaqing also had martial arts that he could boast of.

and Shen. Source: Film and television stills

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Jiaqing personally wrote a "Treatise on Shoucheng". The article said that the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties were all going downhill in the middle of the period, and the problem was that the monarch was clever and changed into law, so the courtiers were greedy for merit, and the people were impetuous, which eventually led to the decline of the family and country. Jiaqing was actually aware of the potential decline of the empire, and wanted to continue the existing prosperity for a little longer, so he was willing to be the lord of the defense. As long as there is no longer such a big greed as He Shen, as long as the emperor leads by example, then why can't the prosperous era continue?

The Tenrikyo uprising was a resounding slap in the face. It's not very hurtful, and it's extremely insulting.

Jiaqing promulgated the first "Edict of Guilt" of the Qing Dynasty with grief and indignation, and his mood can be seen. It's like a palace that has been built for many years, and I try to maintain its brilliance, but I didn't expect it to collapse once, revealing a dilapidated inside.

In "The Edict of Guilt", Jiaqing mentioned the problem of "playing in the same way". The prevarication, mediocrity, and lack of progress of civil and military officials led to such a shameful humiliation as the attack on the Forbidden City! It's not so much about sinners, but rather about taking one's own body for the mistakes of the ministers, but in fact, he is still blaming the ministers.

Within five days of the Tenrikyo incident, he dismissed three of the six scholars and three scholars of the six divisions. An operation to screen officials at all levels was also initiated, from the governor to the county order, and this operation lasted until the 19th year of Jiaqing (1814). The "King of Success" began a drastic rectification of the rule of officials, almost a "restoration", and I am afraid that he also realized that if he did not reform, the country might decline.

This is a top-down change carried out by a monarch in the prime of life and holding great power, in a relatively stable situation at home and abroad. Compared with the many changes after the Opium War, there is no foreign enemy watching, and there is no queen mother's constraints, which can be said to be in the hands of the right time and place. However, this change failed.

Jiaqing was not subjected to a fierce counterattack, but instead seemed to be stuck in a swamp, surrounded by dense suction, dragging him into the mire. He wanted to solve the inaction of officials, but was defeated by the inaction of officials.

In the twenty-fifth year of Jiaqing (1820), there was a case of theft of the Great Seal of the Ministry of War in the DPRK. After investigation, a soap official in order to marry his son's daughter-in-law, convenient for the sedan chair to pass through the yamen straight out of the street, actually opened a new door behind the large warehouse of the military department. This incident happened half a year ago, and the personnel of the military department came and went, but they could not find out. Jiaqing remembered the nightmarish change of Tianli Sect again, and directly reprimanded the minister for "where is the conscience".

This year was the year of Jiaqing's death. Until his death, the shadow of the Tenri Sect hung over him. On September 15, 1813, it was a sunny day in Beijing.

Zhang Dayong, the secretary of the cabinet, took turns at home today, very leisurely. In the afternoon, he and his friends drove to Fayuan and Zaohua Temple to enjoy the chrysanthemums, lingering in the autumn scenery, until the sunset in the West Mountain, and then separated from friends. However, the sudden thunder and lightning that night made him uneasy.

On the 16th, the weather became overcast and a strong wind blew. At dawn, Zhang Dayong endured the cold and entered the office as usual, and when he passed by Zhengyangmen, he noticed an abnormality. The officers and men were heavily armed and looked nervous, as if they were facing a great enemy. When he walked to the Waidonghua Gate, he asked a street soldier what had happened, and the street soldier replied, "The old man still doesn't know?" Last night, the palace searched and killed all night! ”

It turned out that at noon yesterday, two bandits attacked the Forbidden City. Now, the army has entered the palace, and the gates of the capital are closed. When Zhang Dayong arrived at the Neidonghua Gate, the gate was closed, and the officials huddled together to inquire about each other's news, like a swarm of headless flies.

Just like the annoying weather, people's hearts are also clouded.

At that time, Emperor Jiaqing was still on his way back to Beijing from Rehe, and he didn't know what was going on in the palace. How many bandits are in this group? No comrades outside? Will there be another attack on the Forbidden City? For a time, the officials and people in the capital fell into a panic.

On the 17th, the weather was still gloomy. Officers and soldiers went from house to house to search for bandits, and as long as there were people with strange whereabouts, they were immediately arrested. The city's gates are closed, news is blocked, and people feel that danger is lurking but they are unable to obtain information, which makes the city a hotbed of rumors.

At noon, there was news that the saint got on the car and drove back to Beijing, and a Baylor looked from afar at the Donghua Gate Tower, cleared the streets, and opened the city gates, but waited empty. At night, there was a commotion outside the forbidden city, the whole city was boiling, some people said that Taiping Lake was fighting, some people said that the West Chang'an Gate was breached, and some people rode white horses and galloped on the streets, shouting "there are thieves"! In the middle of the night, I found that there was not a single bandit at all. There was a family in the northern city, the husband was a soldier guarding the forbidden city, and his wife heard the noise and was so frightened that she hanged herself.

On the 18th, the north wind howled, and the soldiers stationed there froze to the point that they had no "human color". The manhunt continues, and the rumors don't stop. However, there was good news that the officers and soldiers had captured a thief named Lin Qing in Songjiazhuang, near the capital, who was said to be the mastermind of the attack on the Forbidden City.

On the 19th, the sky finally cleared. Jiaqing returned to the capital, and the situation stabilized. This ambitious emperor promulgated the "Edict of Guilt" at the Qianqing Gate, saying that this incident had become "something that had not happened in the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties", and his indignation jumped on the paper.

On the 20th, Jiaqing summoned all the princes and princes and ministers to give a stern lecture, and said sadly: "How strong I was before the Qing Dynasty, this is why I have this now!" ”

The Qing court gradually figured out the reason: a group of rebellious people called the "Tianli Sect" agreed to rebel on September 15. They divided their troops into several routes and made chaos in Huaxian County, Henan, Cao County, Shandong and other places. One of them, led by Lin Qing, colluded with the eunuchs to directly attack the Forbidden City.

The Tenrikyo incident itself was not a big deal, and the battle in the capital lasted only one day before it ended. On the sixth day of the incident, the search and arrest operation stopped, the army also withdrew from the capital, and the arrested thieves were escorted to the vegetable market to rectify the law. Everything is back on track, but the panic and shock in people's hearts cannot be dissipated for a long time.

Portrait of Emperor Jiaqing. Source: Internet

01

On September 23, Jiaqing personally interrogated the "thief leader" Lin Qing, trying to find out what was wrong with his empire.

In prison, Lin Qing almost confessed his life: Where does he live? What have you done? When did I join? When did you have the intention of rebelling? Who are in the same party? What is the plan? …… There is no shortage of exaggerations, and there are also things made up to beg for mercy. However, when compared with the testimony of other key criminals, the facts are basically clear.

The eighteenth year of Jiaqing was the year of the township examination, and the matter of Tianlijiao naturally became a hot topic among students in Beijing. Those who have won fame and fame have begun to think about ways to eliminate "evil cults," and they may have bet on the topic of the imperial examination. Those who worry about the world are more concerned about Jiaqing's guilty edict, speculating whether the Qing court is brewing a reform, and what can they do in it? Later, there was a scholar named Sheng Dashi who collected information from all sides and wrote the book "Jing Yi Ji", which was a bestseller.

The confession of the prisoner, the archives of the Military Aircraft Department, the living notes of the emperor, the archives of the palace, the notes of the readers...... It can be said that history has left us with a lot of information to understand the Tenrikyo religion.

It was a hidden, chaotic, unknown world.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, secret religions of various names sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, breaking ground in the north and south of the great river, forming a vibrant folk world. In addition to the famous White Lotus Sect, there are also Luozu, Nanwu, Jingkong, Mixed Yuan, Mahayana, Bagua, Qingyang, Hongyang and other religions, with many names and too many to mention. As can be seen from the name, most of the sects adapted the Buddhist treasure scrolls and created sects.

They are officially hostile, cannot see the light of day, are not allowed to act openly in temples, and are not allowed to swagger and hold ceremonies. In most cases, a master holds a treasure scroll and takes a group of disciples and grandchildren to hold small gatherings at home to spread the teachings.

The spiritual world of the upper-class elite is very vast, and they can pretend to be the family and the country in their hearts, and if their lives are unsatisfactory, they can also find meaning from the difficult and profound Buddhism. The people at the bottom don't understand literature and ink, they don't have the ideal of self-cultivation and governing the country, and it is difficult to be elegant when they say and think, but it doesn't mean that they don't want to speak. Secret religion gives them a chance to speak under the table.

At that time, there was a belief that was prevalent in all sects. There is a god named "Childless Mother", who is the ancestor of all people. However, her children wandered in the red dust and lost their nature, so she sent people down to save the world and let the children return to the "vacuum hometown" as soon as possible.

The faithful divide history into three periods: Qingyang (past), Hongyang (present), and Baiyang (future). The Mother of Birth sent the Buddha of Burning Lamp, Buddha Shakyamuni and Buddha Maitreya respectively to rule the human world. Now, that is, in the Red Sun Period, the "Terror Tribulation", that is, the "White Sun Tribulation", is coming, sweeping the world, Maitreya Buddha was born, leading people to drive away the darkness and win the light. In the catastrophe, only the believers who have no mother can survive.

Their world is simple, a tragic end, and a prophecy that ends suffering.

The ritual of salvation is simpler. Believers only need to face the rising sun and recite the eight-character scripture "Vacuum hometown, no biological parents". Complex points require meditation and incense so that you can be blessed.

The Buddha of the lamp in a Song Dynasty painting. Source: Internet

Generally speaking, the masters are people with "craft". They roamed the countryside or the fringes of the city, either to heal the sick or to teach boxing to lure people into the church. When practicing medicine, acupuncture is used, or massage is used, or cross-knee sitting is taught, and most of the patients are apprenticed to teachers after they have recovered from their illness. Teaching boxing can strengthen the body, can be used in gang fights, and is also an art to earn a life.

Initiation and expulsion are very casual. Those who want benefits will leave when they find more effective spells, and those who are afraid of the government will cut off their seats when they are under pressure. Some disciples went to other villages and developed another group of believers, and he became another sect leader. He may change his name, or he may respect his master from afar, using a compound name, such as "Laojunmen Ligua Sect is also known as Yihemen", "Dongfang Zhen Hexagram is also known as Longhua Huijiao". The leader of the sect has died, and a new person has taken the throne, and he may also change his name. One teaches many, one more, and there are countless branches, and all living beings are entangled in it.

Among the congregation, there are poor and rich, Han Chinese, Manchus, rural and urban. The dense small society formed by blood and geography was entrenched at the bottom of the empire. They have one thing in common: they have not passed the imperial examination to gain fame.

The emperor who worked hard to govern the country and the scholars who worried about the country and the people condescendingly looked at the corners of society. In their eyes, folk religion is a cult, a potential opponent of order, and a social malaise that must be eliminated.

In fact, most of the members of the sect live a miserable life, practicing boxing, fasting, and reciting mantras day after day, looking forward to the arrival of the catastrophe. There was a great flood in the east, a shortage of food in the west, and there was no money in the family, all of which could be signs of a great calamity, but they could always get by.

Until a restless man aroused the fears and desires in their hearts, telling them that the end of the world was coming, and that it was time to earn the light.

02

Lin Qing, the person who shook the capital, was essentially a hooligan.

He grew up in Songjiazhuang, near Gyeonggi, and learned to read and write as a child. At the age of 17, he became an apprentice in a pharmacy and had some skills in seeing a doctor. He has worked as a clerk, as a husband, as a teahouse, as a secretary of the yamen, as a long-term attendant, and as a small business. Tiannan and Haibei have all broken through, been to the customs outside, and also to Jiangsu, the most common place to stay is still the Gyeonggi area.

He has a bunch of stinky problems, prostitution, gambling, alcoholism, corruption, fraud and other bad things have also done a lot. If you make a little money, you will immediately squander it, and then find another job, and so on. No money, no long-term plan, but it can't stop.

Such people and secret religions can be said to be attracted to each other, and they are a natural pair.

The sect is mixed and advocates mutual assistance. Here, the homeless can have a sense of belonging, and the good deeds can join in the fun. The most important thing is that the sect gave Lin Qing an organizational structure that could accumulate money and a clear long-term goal.

On the other hand, Lin Qing was a lively mind, able to speak, literate, and knew some medicinal herbs, and was a good missionary. The vast number of congregants are distributed in all corners of the countryside and cities, and they have relocated to their land, and it is people like Lin Qing who can break the isolation of the people at the bottom, connect them, and see their own strength.

At that time, there were many sects in the Gyeonggi area. At the beginning, Lin Qing joined the Ronghua Society, worshipping the sun on weekdays, reciting charms, and avoiding the inspection of the government. Gradually, his ambitions grew, and he drove out the original leader. He himself said that it was because he "could speak" that others wanted him to be the head of the sect. After gaining a firm foothold, he quickly contacted other sects and unified, absorbed, and integrated the Baekyang, Qingyang, and Kangua religions near Gyeonggi.

Lin Qing's eloquence was very good, he persuaded people to join the church, paid the blessing money, promised to repay ten times more, and lived a comfortable life. However, there is still a lot of potential to be tapped in the sect, and he doesn't want to be mixed up like this, as he said to his disciples: "There is no blessing to be a peaceful people." ”

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Lin Qing, who was already the head of the Baiyang sect, went south to northern Henan and became acquainted with Li Wencheng and Feng Keshan, who were from Huaxian County. Li Wencheng knows a little about astronomy and can speak well; Feng Keshan is a boxer and ambitious. All three are restless personalities who are keen to unify the surrounding sects. Since then, Lin Qing has traveled south many times, peddling his charms and opinions. Once, Li Wencheng quoted Lin Qing's views in his "Lectures", defeated his master, obtained the scriptures treasured by his master, and seized the right to teach.

Lin Qing and Li Wencheng fused their ideas together and established a new Bagua Sect organization. Lin Qing's subordinates are called the Kan Hexagram Sect, and he is the leader that everyone believes; Li Wencheng's newly acquired sect is the Zhen Hexagram Sect; Feng Keshan was pulled into the Big Three and was the leader of the Hexagram Sect.

As his power grew, Lin Qing extended his tentacles to some down-and-out upper-class people.

In the early years of Jiaqing, the life of the banner people became increasingly difficult, and even the families of officials were not spared. There is a Han army banner man named Cao Lun, who has four walls at home, and only wears a shabby robe when he goes out on errands, and he is not covered at home. Lin Qing met Cao Lun in Jiangsu, and the two were both people who worked hard outside, and they hit it off at first sight.

In the spring of the twelfth year of Jiaqing (1807), Cao Lun was sick and bedridden, and one day he suddenly heard a knock on the door, and when he opened the door, he saw that it was Lin Qing. Lin Qing said enthusiastically: "Cao Gongzi is so cold, although Qing is thin and weak, but there is a lack of wealth and righteousness. "Immediately took out the platinum number of yi. Cao Lun was grateful. Soon, Lin Qing sent someone to bring clothes. After Cao Lun recovered from his illness, the two became brothers. Since then, if Cao Lun has difficulties in life, Lin Qing will fully support him.

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Cao Lun was promoted to the capital of the Dushi Battalion, and went to meet Lin Qing, but he was sorry that he had not been able to repay the money. Lin Qing said in a mysterious way: "The wealth of the Qing Dynasty is given by the gentleman." Cao Lun didn't know what he meant. Lin Qingping retreated left and right, and said to Cao Lun: "The servants are young and lonely, and because they meet strangers to teach magic skills, those who ask for everything will gradually become rich. Today, he is taught to the public, and he is recommended as the leader of the Kan Sect, leading the gossip and nine palaces. Subsequently, Lin Qing mentioned that there were good deeds and said that he gathered a crowd to swagger and test Cao Lun's mind.

When it came to secret religions, Cao Lun naturally hesitated, and replied again and again: "Although Lun is not talented, how can he be a person who is unrighteous?" Ann is saved when he is poor and dying, and he does not know what to report, but he is framed by the opposite? May my son not be jealous. ”

Subsequently, Lin Qing taught Cao Lun the eight-character mantra, saying that he could get rid of poverty. After a long time, Cao Lun found that the spell did not work, and some sect members told him to bow down to the sect leader in person to achieve it. So, Cao Lun took his son to Songjiazhuang to serve Lin Qing as a teacher.

Lin Qing befriended Cao Lun because he wanted to use Cao Lun's power for personal gain, such as entering the city to buy rice in the name of soldiers. Cao Lun also got closer and closer to Lin Qing out of the dual psychology of gratitude and seeking wealth. Later, Lin Qing wanted to invite him to participate in the rebellion, but Cao Lun, as the fourth rank official of the imperial court, was still waiting, "It is said that if the matter is successful, you can get a big official, and if you fail, you will not be affected by yourself."

Around the same time, the eunuch Liu Decai also joined the church. The eunuchs did not live in isolation in the palace, on the contrary, they maintained close ties with their relatives, and were the link between the palace and the countryside. After Liu Decai joined the church, he often coaxed some lower-level eunuchs to apprentice, telling them that they would not eat or drink or make money, and that they would still have money. There were two eunuchs who received a tael of silver on the first day of every month.

The most surprising thing is that the Qing dynasty clan Haikang also joined Lin Qing's sect. The addition of these people made Lin Qing's ambition bigger and bigger.

The true appearance of the eunuchs of the Qing Dynasty. Source: Internet

03

We can't be sure exactly when Lin Qing had the intention of rebelling, and when the name of the Heavenly Doctrine was officially established. When Lin Qing unified the Bagua Sect, the trend of rebellion was already brewing.

Standing at the pinnacle of his life, Lin Qing may want to emulate the predecessors of the White Lotus Sect and make an amazing career. He declared to his disciples that the Red Sun Tribulation was imminent, and "the White Sun should be prosperous". He didn't want to stimulate the congregation with just numb desires, but directly told them that the end times were coming, and it was time to save themselves.

Lin Qing vigorously expanded the number of congregational members and the money of filial piety, promising that these donations would bring rewards in the future. "For every penny, one hectare of land, several stones of grain, and an official position. Fill in the number book, write the contract and piece of paper, and submit it to the person as evidence. "A simple means of collecting money.

He swore to Li Wencheng and Feng Keshan, and called himself the king of heaven, the king of man, and the king of the earth. A simple and ancient way of forming alliances.

Li Wencheng called himself "Li Zicheng's reincarnation" and was the future ruler. And Lin Qing is the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha, and during the reign of the king of people, like the Confucian saints, he helped Li Wencheng. An emperor, a saint. A simple political and religious system.

Lin Qing also thought that his title was not enough, and said that he was the "reincarnation of Tai Bai Xing", and called himself the "reincarnation" of the surname Liu, and the congregation respected him as "Master Liu", and also wrote a poem: "Waiting for the north water to return to the Han Emperor, the earth is only one pass." ”

Where there are more people, the prevailing truth becomes. To persuade the elite to rebel, perhaps it is necessary to know the righteousness of the world, or to manipulate the classics. But for a group of people who have never read a book and are full of fear for the future, a promise of wealth, a god with boundless power, and a powerful surname are enough to bind them together.

In the eighteenth year of Jiaqing (1813), the rumors have been released: the catastrophe is about to appear. Isolated denominations were united, their heads gathered to discuss important matters, and the faithful went out into the people to solicit as many Protestants as possible. This year is undoubtedly a good opportunity. The border areas of Zhili, Henan, and Shandong provinces have been hit by drought for two consecutive years, many fields have been deserted, and famine is spreading. It is in line with the vision of the last days.

In July of this year, Lin Qing, Li Wencheng and others gathered at Henan Daokou to discuss the plan.

At that time, Lin Qing got a treasure scroll - "The Three Buddhas Should Tribulate the Tongguan Tongshu", which has a sentence "Mid-Autumn Festival in August, Mid-Autumn Festival in August, yellow flowers bloom all over the ground". So everyone discussed the 15th of August, but the "Constitution of the Times" promulgated by the Qing court did not include a leap August, and the date of the uprising was changed to 15th September.

The crossing meeting was filled with a warm, optimistic and even eerie atmosphere. Each group was given a goal. Lin Qing invaded Beijing, Li Wencheng occupied Huaxian County, Henan, and Feng Keshan captured Shandong. On the day of the uprising, everyone had to wear white scarves on their heads, with the code word "victory", and every time they killed someone, they had to shout "victory" to gain strength. After the success of the uprisings in Shandong and Henan, they immediately supported Beijing.

Obviously, they were extremely confident that the city would be conquered and the Qing soldiers would be repulsed, and Lin Qing even boasted about Haikou: "We have taken the capital division, and we are not afraid that the emperor will not go to the eastern part of the country." ”

In fact, just as everyone was looking forward to the wonderful world after the end of the world, the fire of the uprising was already in great danger.

In July, in Jinxiang, Shandong, a meeting of Tianli believers was discovered. The prefectural order quickly wrote a report, which was submitted layer by layer, and returned to the governor. Two weeks later, the magistrate, who had received the order, caught someone and knew that a group of people were preparing to rebel. The magistrate asked the squires to be prepared and vigilant against rebellion, and also intensified the search and arrest.

Secrecy is very poor. The gentry living in the countryside saw the lights and plots, the blacksmiths reported that weapons were being built on a large scale, and the timid people heard their relatives and friends talk about the uprising...... In fact, before the uprising, many people were aware of the flames of rebellion.

Zhu Xian is Lin Qing's apprentice, and his family is the coat of Zhenglanqi, which is under the control of Prince Yu. His participation in the cult was discovered by his family very early, and even the entire rebellion plan became known. He had a nephew who worked as a hired hand in Prince Yu's mansion, and immediately told the palace guards, who said that this matter was not his responsibility, but he still reported it to the prince. When the prince found out, he did not believe it.

Later, the nephew found another clansman in the church, Zhu Rui, and wrote a testimony to be handed over to the prince. Zhu Rui felt embarrassed and refused to act, and his wife told him: "All you can do is tell the prince." If the denunciation succeeds, then all is well. If not, we'd better run away. So, Zhu Rui rode his donkey into the city slowly, and by the time he denounced it, the Forbidden City had fallen into civil strife.

The Qing system was not closed, there were too many channels to learn about the rebellion in advance, and the bloated institutions were inefficient. Even if the Jinxiang County Order, which succeeded in containing the rebellion, the response could not be called rapid.

At the end of August, the Tianli Sect in Huaxian County, Henan Province, leaked the news in the process of casting ordnance and weapons, and the magistrate led troops to sneak attack, and Li Wencheng and others were caught off guard and arrested and imprisoned. Li Wencheng's subordinates were forced to act in advance, rescued Li Wencheng, and quickly captured Huaxian.

In this way, the Tenrikyo uprising was launched early.

The Tenrikyo uprising was very hasty. Source: Film and television stills

04

When Huaxian County, Henan Province fell into the flames of war, Lin Qing's squad was sharpening their knives.

His troubles came mainly from within.

On the 12th of September, the believers divided into small groups, disguised as merchants and vendors, carrying white cloths and weapons, entered the capital. Some people have not seen the towering walls of the Forbidden City, and they are afraid. For example, Lin Qing's subordinate Li Wu was supposed to bring 70 people and prepare fifty steel knives, but only more than 40 people entered the city. In their confessions, one of the brothers who had retreated said: "We two brothers will discuss that if we do not accept him, he will kill us. In September, we really didn't go to Lin Qing's house. ”

On the last night, one of the leaders said to the people, "If you go to this thing, you will die, and if you don't go, you will die." If you can get it, everyone will be rich. "Many people are frightened as soon as they enter Beijing, and the more they think about it, the more scared they become, and they stop to drink from time to time to strengthen their courage and find excuses to shirk. On September 15, there were only about 100 people who arrived at Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate.

Floor plan of the Forbidden City. Source: Internet

At noon, two eunuchs from Donghua Gate walked towards the palace gate, and the rebels drew their weapons and rushed to the palace. When five or six insurgents rushed in, the gatekeepers closed the gate effortlessly, and the others were shut out and could only run wildly. Many people left white cloths and knives on the side of the road and fled to Songjiazhuang, where Lin Qing was located. It can be seen that the uprising was hasty.

The people who went in had no way out, they fought for their lives, and they could only hope to find Simon's teammates. But in the end, the number was not good, and all of them were captured.

Xihuamen rushed in fifty or sixty people. They closed the palace gate to repel the officers and soldiers, and at the same time climbed the tower and planted the white flag. A group of elites marched towards the palace where the emperor lived, and started a fierce white-knuckle battle with the palace guards. After hearing the news, the princes, Gege, and concubines in the palace all fled with their heads in their hands, shouting and screaming, and the palace suddenly fell into chaos.

Three insurgents climbed over the palace wall and tried to jump into it. The prince Min Ning, the future Daoguang Emperor, immediately asked his retinue to fetch waist knives and shotguns, and when the guns came, he opened fire on an insurgentist who was climbing the wall, hitting one and another falling. Min Ning ran to another courtyard, saw a leader holding a white flag, and shot again.

Soon, the firearms battalion of the Qing army arrived and fought fiercely with this group of rebels who did not know the height of the sky and the height of the earth at Longzongmen. The rebels were desperate and scattered into hiding, and one of the eunuchs was not found out until a few days later, pretending to be doing something. By this time, the situation had been decided, the insurgents were captured one after another, and some chose to commit suicide. Only a few people hid well, took advantage of the darkness, climbed the palace wall, and escaped by luck.

There is a firearms battalion in the Qing people's painting "Map of the Battle of Annan in Pingding". Source: Internet

Poorly equipped, inexperienced, and outnumbered, the Tenrikyo uprising could not have succeeded from the beginning. The Tianli followers who entered the Forbidden City were either killed or captured, and those who escaped were also captured. They were less than a hundred, but they killed more than 100 palace guards, which can be regarded as adding a bit of tragedy to this child's playful uprising.

Subsequently, Lim Ching was arrested, and Cheonrikyo followers were being searched for throughout Gyeonggi. On the other side, the Qing army made every effort to encircle and suppress the Tianlijiao rebel army in Henan and Shandong.

After the rebels occupied Huaxian, they killed officials, slaughtered wealthy households, hoarded food, absorbed rebels, and pacified the inhabitants of the city, and Huaxian County suddenly changed from 10,000 to 60,000. The rebels often raided the countryside, where many of the squires had already organized their forces to resist. Since the Tenrikyo religion believed that only believers could be saved, they did not refrain from using violence, and after plundering, a large number of hungry people were created, but they expanded their ranks.

For some surrendered areas, the Tenrikyo "did not burn and kill, but invited people to buy people's hearts", as long as they also raised the white flag and rebelled against the imperial court. However, after the arrival of the Qing army, these people often escaped, and even took the initiative to help the Qing army exterminate the rebels.

The biggest problem is that the rebels have no strategic thinking, and after being frustrated, they often don't know what to do, and after being attacked, they only know how to take a defensive position, and finally they are besieged.

At the beginning of November, Li Wencheng led part of his team to attack Shandong, leaving a team to guard the city. The Qing army set up a fort outside the city, "dug tunnels", and hung Lin Qing's head outside the camp tent to deter the rebels. The rebels were unmoved and repeatedly thwarted the Qing army's attacks. One of the soldiers defending the city shouted contemptuously to the enemy: "If you want to break my city, you must have 200,000 soldiers!" The officer shot him in the left arm, and the soldier pulled out the arrow, still fighting. Just as the rebel army concentrated all its strength to resist the enemy who attacked the city, there was a loud bang, and the southwest and west walls were bombarded by the Qing army.

Li Wencheng's army that broke through was also trapped. Someone lured Li Wencheng to surrender with a rich reward, and Li Wencheng shouted: "Li Wencheng is here, if he wants to kill, he will kill, and he will never surrender!" In the end, dozens of soldiers embraced their leader and calmly took justice with Li Wencheng.

In mid-December, the Tenrikyo uprising ended.

05

The Tianlijiao uprising was not a successful uprising, but the shock it had on the Qing court, especially the psychological impact on Jiaqing, was not insignificant.

At the beginning of Jiaqing's accession to the throne, state power was still in the hands of Qianlong. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that the prosperity of the Qing Empire was already on the decline. The number of teeth is increasing, the population crisis is emerging, and more and more people have to feed an acre of land. The imperial examination has also gradually become ossified, with more and more candidates, but fewer and fewer people are admitted.

In the fourth year of Jiaqing (1799), Jiaqing killed He Shen with the power of thunder, confiscated family property, and rectified the rule of officials. In the ninth year of Jiaqing (1804), the rebellion of the White Lotus Sect was pacified, and Jiaqing also had martial arts that he could boast of.

and Shen. Source: Film and television stills

In the sixteenth year of Jiaqing (1811), Jiaqing personally wrote a "Treatise on Shoucheng". The article said that the Han, Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties were all going downhill in the middle of the period, and the problem was that the monarch was clever and changed into law, so the courtiers were greedy for merit, and the people were impetuous, which eventually led to the decline of the family and country. Jiaqing was actually aware of the potential decline of the empire, and wanted to continue the existing prosperity for a little longer, so he was willing to be the lord of the defense. As long as there is no longer such a big greed as He Shen, as long as the emperor leads by example, then why can't the prosperous era continue?

The Tenrikyo uprising was a resounding slap in the face. It's not very hurtful, and it's extremely insulting.

Jiaqing promulgated the first "Edict of Guilt" of the Qing Dynasty with grief and indignation, and his mood can be seen. It's like a palace that has been built for many years, and I try to maintain its brilliance, but I didn't expect it to collapse once, revealing a dilapidated inside.

In "The Edict of Guilt", Jiaqing mentioned the problem of "playing in the same way". The prevarication, mediocrity, and lack of progress of civil and military officials led to such a shameful humiliation as the attack on the Forbidden City! It's not so much about sinners, but rather about taking one's own body for the mistakes of the ministers, but in fact, he is still blaming the ministers.

Within five days of the Tenrikyo incident, he dismissed three of the six scholars and three scholars of the six divisions. An operation to screen officials at all levels was also initiated, from the governor to the county order, and this operation lasted until the 19th year of Jiaqing (1814). The "King of Success" began a drastic rectification of the rule of officials, almost a "restoration", and I am afraid that he also realized that if he did not reform, the country might decline.

This is a top-down change carried out by a monarch in the prime of life and holding great power, in a relatively stable situation at home and abroad. Compared with the many changes after the Opium War, there is no foreign enemy watching, and there is no queen mother's constraints, which can be said to be in the hands of the right time and place. However, this change failed.

Jiaqing was not subjected to a fierce counterattack, but instead seemed to be stuck in a swamp, surrounded by dense suction, dragging him into the mire. He wanted to solve the inaction of officials, but was defeated by the inaction of officials.

In the twenty-fifth year of Jiaqing (1820), there was a case of theft of the Great Seal of the Ministry of War in the DPRK. After investigation, a soap official in order to marry his son's daughter-in-law, convenient for the sedan chair to pass through the yamen straight out of the street, actually opened a new door behind the large warehouse of the military department. This incident happened half a year ago, and the personnel of the military department came and went, but they could not find out. Jiaqing remembered the nightmarish change of Tianli Sect again, and directly reprimanded the minister for "where is the conscience".

This year was the year of Jiaqing's death. Until his death, the shadow of the Tenri Sect hung over him.