He was the only Han official worthy of enjoying the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the Qing Dynasty for nearly three hundred years!
When he was young, he suffered many natural and man-made disasters, and had a few brushes with death. He studied hard despite the hardships;
When he was young, he had great ambitions, but he was repeatedly trapped in the examination room, failed in the exams, and experienced the cold eyes and adversities of the world.
Once he entered the official career after being named on the gold list, he first devoted himself to compiling history according to the imperial edict of Kangxi. He used a stylus to distinguish between loyalties and traitors, and wrote about the Spring and Autumn Period. His words were rigorous and his character was awe-inspiring.
During the three dynasties of Kangxi, Yongzong and Qianlong, the situation in the court was treacherous, the undercurrent of the Manchu-Han conflict was raging, and countless powerful officials were ups and downs, and their reputations were ruined. Only he, as a Han official, remained at the core of the power of the Qing Dynasty for decades.
He was a close minister whom Kangxi relied on, a Tuogu Zaifu whom Yongzheng looked up to, and a veteran of the three dynasties who established the throne in the Qianlong dynasty.
He worked conscientiously throughout his life, abided by the law, set rules and regulations in the court, relieved people's poverty and stabilized people's livelihood, and made indelible and immortal contributions to the prosperous era of Kangxi and Qianlong.
But who would have thought that he, who had been cautious and abiding by his ministerial principles all his life, would encounter the emperor's jealousy in his old age, find himself in trouble, and experience the ups and downs of honor and disgrace.
From a failed scholar to a prime minister in three dynasties, from power to the ups and downs in his later years, Zhang Tingyu's magnificent life, his way of being an official, his wisdom in dealing with the world, his desire to serve the country and his regrets in life, still leave us with the most profound inspiration.
