Reflections | Najib Razak has nothing on the Chinese prime minister who tried to have an emperor killed
- Errant prime ministers in imperial China were a dime a dozen and for the most part of Chinese history, official venality was the norm
- Few went as far as Hu Weiyong, who tried to assassinate the Ming dynasty’s Emperor Taizu, was caught and executed along with more than 30,000 others
On August 23, Malaysia’s apex court upheld the previous convictions of former prime minister Najib Razak for abuse of power, money laundering and criminal breach of trust. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 210 million ringgit (around US$47 million).
Errant prime ministers in imperial China were a dime a dozen and for the most part of Chinese history, official venality was the norm, not the exception. The famous case of Hu Weiyong in the early years of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) was a classic example of the demise of a corrupt prime minister, who had grown too powerful for his own good, in the hands of a ruler who was ruthlessly protective of his throne.
Zhu Yuanzhang, known in history as Emperor Taizu of the Ming dynasty, appointed Hu as grand councillor in 1373. In almost all Chinese dynastic periods, a grand councillor, or its equivalent, was the principal agent for implementing the ruler’s wishes in all aspects of government. He was often the most esteemed and influential among all officials, and was their leader and spokesman vis-à-vis the emperor.
It was a position of great responsibility, but also one that an ambitious or corrupt individual could easily use for his own gain.
At first, Hu discharged his duties well and found favour with Taizu. It wasn’t long before he started to abuse his position as the conduit between the throne and the large contingent of officials governing the empire. Reports and petitions sent to the emperor by various offices in the central government and the provinces would be suppressed if Hu didn’t like their contents or their signatories.
