Qianlong Emperor

The Qianlong Emperor ruled the Qing Empire from 1735 to 1796. His reign combined territorial expansion, court patronage and increasingly severe political control. Qianlong Emperor is generally dated to 1711–1799.

Qianlong presided over major military campaigns and territorial expansion while also sponsoring immense cultural projects, including the compilation of the Siku Quanshu, alongside severe literary censorship. In 1796 he formally abdicated in favour of his son, the Jiaqing Emperor, so that his reign would not exceed that of his grandfather Kangxi. He retained decisive influence as emperor emeritus until his death in 1799.

In Jin Yong’s The Book and the Sword (the ^Amartial Arts Novels of Louis Cha), During the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, Chen Jialuo returns from Xinjiang to lead the Red Flower Society, a brotherhood committed to overthrowing the Manchu Qing and restoring Han rule.