In Chinese architecture, the unique understanding of the builder is integrated. Royal buildings such as the Forbidden City are more integrated with the ruler's pattern. The Forbidden City is one of the most distinctive classical buildings in China. Whether Chinese or foreigners, when they come to Beijing, they will choose to visit the Forbidden City and learn about this imperial city that carries the history of China's Ming and Qing dynasties.
The Forbidden City’s majesty, exquisiteness and ingenuity always amaze those who see it. However, many friends who have been to the Forbidden City may have noticed that there is an arrow under a plaque. Arrows are extremely offensive weapons, so why would they appear in royal residences? Didn't the emperors find out? Or don’t you think it’s taboo? In fact, this arrow only appeared during the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty. He kept this arrow to remind himself at all times to safeguard the inheritance of his ancestors.
The Qing Dynasty was a dynasty established by ethnic minorities. It was one of the few dynasties in Chinese history that used ethnic minorities to unify the Central Plains. In the agricultural era, possessing natural resources meant enjoying a more advanced civilization. The nomadic people are still living in an unstable place just for daily necessities, and the level of civilization development is naturally not as good as that of the Central Plains.
In China’s feudal society, Confucian culture, which has lasted for thousands of years, enjoyed the central position of culture. However, after the Manchus entered the customs, they hoped to assimilate the Han culture. They tried to promote Manchu as the official language and Manchu culture as the orthodoxy in the Central Plains.
Although the Qing Dynasty had conquered the former Ming Dynasty by force, the culture had been deeply rooted in people's hearts for thousands of years. It was obviously unrealistic for the Qing rulers to uproot it. Conquest by force is acceptable, but if the Han people respect Manchu culture and abandon the benevolence, justice, propriety, wisdom, and trust that have been inherited for thousands of years, it will inevitably cause an uproar.
Although the rulers of the Qing Dynasty have begun to practice calligraphy and study Confucian classics since Emperor Kangxi, the sentiment against the rule of ethnic minorities has been deeply rooted in the hearts of some people. This is what made the rulers of the Qing Dynasty very One of the unsettling factors.
At that time, there were many armed organizations organized by the people to oppose the rule of the Qing Dynasty, and uprisings were held from time to time, which gave the Qing Dynasty a headache. Despite their efforts to suppress them strictly, these insurrectionists with deep-rooted old-fashioned ideas are like weeds that grow again with the spring breeze.
These civil organizations are also combined with religion. When the world is difficult, religion is always very popular. During the Jiaqing period, the anti-Qing organization White Lotus Sect had already developed very strongly. They used religious ideas to firmly control some people who opposed the Qing Dynasty and restored the Ming Dynasty, and the arrow on the plaque in the Forbidden City was related to the White Lotus Sect.
Emperors of the Qing Dynasty, no matter which generation they are, must emphasize that they cannot forget the traditions of their ancestors. Princes have to learn riding and shooting since they were young, and this is an event they must take exams for. After becoming emperor, there will be hunting activities every year. However, for ordinary people, there is actually no problem with hunting.
However, if the emperor wanted to hunt, he would have to mobilize troops. First of all, you need to prepare a hunting place. It must be guarded all year round and no one can enter or exit the place. Secondly, when hunting, you need to bring a large number of attendants to serve you, which will cause great waste. And in order to protect the emperor's safety, many people needed to be used for security work every time he hunted.
In the autumn of the 18th year of Jiaqing, he led a group of people to Chengde. The emperor's annual hunting event began, and most of the troops in the Forbidden City were taken there. It can be said that the Forbidden City at this time was a city with extremely weak defense. It is a pity that at that time, Emperor Jiaqing only wanted to follow the traditions of his ancestors, but did not think about the safety of the imperial city.
There is a branch under the White Lotus Sect called Tianli Sect. At first, the number of people was small, but after hundreds of years of development, the Tenri Sect has become a civilian armed force that cannot be underestimated. At that time, the leader of the Tianli Sect was called Lin Qing. This man was originally from Beijing, but he could not stand the domineering behavior of the Qing royal family and voluntarily joined the Tianli Sect.
Many people swore to follow him to the death. Lin Qing was also a ruthless person and incited many Qing officials to rebel, asking them to help him find out the news.
This time, the news that Emperor Jiaqing went hunting was easily known to him.
At that time, Lin Qing decided to attack the Forbidden City. Although his team only had more than two hundred people, he was quite confident because he heard that most of the guards in the Forbidden City had been taken away. However, when Lin Qing entered the city with more than two hundred people, he encountered obstacles.
It turned out that at first, they only used small money to send off the people guarding the city gate. After entering the city and being discovered by the patrolmen, Lin Qing and his party realized that it was not easy to deal with. Although there are not many palace guards, they have received strict training. Lin Qing's number was originally small, and the more than 200 people were ordinary people who had never experienced a formal battle. Therefore, they were quickly defeated. During the chaos, someone shot a bow and arrow at a plaque.
After that, more than two hundred people were killed, and Lin Qing was not spared. After Emperor Jiaqing came back, he was very sad. Seeing the arrow on the plaque, he ordered no one to take it off. Keeping it is to remind yourself to stay alert at all times.