There Is No Certain Reason For Saying That Wou Sankwei Nursed Any Scheme Of Personal Aggrandizement, But The Measures He Took And The Reforms He Instituted Were Calculated To Make His Authority Become Gradually Independent Of Manchu Control.

For a time the Manchu government suppressed its apprehensions on account of this powerful satrap, by the argument that

In a few years his death in the course of nature must relieve it from this peril, but Wou Sankwei lived on and showed no signs of paying the common debt of humanity. Then it seemed to Kanghi that Wou Sankwei was gradually establishing the solid foundation of a formidable and independent power. The Manchu generals and ministers had always been jealous of the greater fame of Wou Sankwei. When they saw that Kanghi wanted an excuse to fall foul of him, they carried every tale of alleged self-assertion on the part of the Chinese viceroy to the imperial ears, and represented that his power dwarfed the dignity of the Manchu throne and threatened its stability.

At last Kanghi resolved to take some decisive step to bring the question to a climax, and he accordingly sent Wou Sankwei an invitation to visit him at Pekin. Wou Sankwei excused himself from going to court on the ground that he was very old, and that his only wish was to end his days in peace. He also deputed his son to tender his allegiance to the emperor and to perform the Kotao in his name.

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Words from 68489 to 68739 of 191255