Inspired by the poet and influential Confucian scholar Lü Liuliang's anti-Manchu writings, Zeng conspired to overthrow the Yongzheng Emperor and Qing dynasty.
Interpreting floods as signs of dynastic mismanagement of the land and state, Zeng Jing attempted to organize a plot to overthrow the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in 1728.
Yongzheng also issued and distributed a response throughout the empire, the Dayi Juemi Lu (大義覺迷錄: “A Record of Righteous Principles to Awaken the Deluded”) in which he argued against the principles that gave rise to Zeng Jing's plot in the first place and stated that there are really no differences between the ethnicities.
[1] Yongzheng later allowed Zeng Jing to return to Henan and even gave him some gifts on his departure from Beijing.
Now that Yongzheng had passed, Qianlong desired to punish Zeng Jing for offending his imperial ancestor.