Grand Councilor Zhang Tingyu: The Rise and Fall of Three Reigns

During the Yongzheng era, the imperial court’s power grew stronger, and the Grand Council was established to take over the central government from the Grand Secretariat. Zhang Tingyu rose to the position of chief Grand Councilor, drawing on the knowledge he had accumulated across three reigns and his cautious approach to life. He assisted Yongzheng in implementing the single-whip tax reform and bringing the fire-consumption surcharge into the public treasury. By reforming the bureaucracy and replenishing the imperial coffers, he helped the Qing dynasty enter its golden age. He also spent decades overseeing the compilation of the History of Ming, using his writing to record the rise and fall of the previous dynasty. But after Qianlong ascended the throne, the ruler and his minister increasingly disagreed on matters of policy. Zhang Tingyu, then in his seventies, was stripped of his offices and titles and spent his final years in misery. Only after his death did Qianlong recognize his lifelong service, restore his title, and permit him to be enshrined in the Temple of Eminent Officials. His life made him a witness to the Kangxi-Qianlong Golden Age and an embodiment of the rise and fall of powerful ministers in a feudal dynasty.