The Qing Dynasty was the last feudal dynasty in China, and the prosperity of the last feudal dynasty in China was the prosperous era of Kangqian. And everyone knows that the emperor after Kangxi is Yongzheng, and the emperor after Yongzheng is Qianlong. Therefore, the prosperous life of Kangqian is also known as the prosperous world of Kangyongqian. But now everyone's general title is Kangqian Shengshi, which makes some people who are unclear think that Yongzheng, who is sandwiched in the middle, has no contribution. In fact, this is not the case.
Speaking of Yongzheng, with the popularity of film and television dramas in recent years, everyone is certainly not unfamiliar. However, we should still look at the historical value of Yongzheng as a person more objectively and fairly.
Kangxi ascended the throne at the age of three, died of illness in his sixties, and served as emperor for sixty-three years, and Qianlong as emperor for sixty years, compared with Yongzheng's reign for only thirteen short years. However, although his reign was short, it was of great significance to the emergence of Kangqian's prosperous life. Kangxi reigned for more than sixty years, but in its later period, perhaps due to lack of energy, perhaps due to political factors, Kangxi's grasp of the political situation was not as strong as the original, it can be said that the Great Qing Dynasty was very problematic before Yongzheng took over.
Therefore, when Yongzheng first became emperor, he began a series of innovations, such as stalling such as mu and so on. According to historical records, Yongzheng was very conscientious when he was emperor, often working until late at night, and did not have much time to sleep. On the preserved folds, it is often possible to see the annotations under the lamp of the Yongzheng narrative.
In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign, he suddenly failed in the Yuanmingyuan, but when he died, Yongzheng issued two secret decrees in succession, and instructed the four ministers who were guarding the bed at that time, that is, four people, including Zhang Tingyu, Ortai, and the two princes. Yongzheng instructed that after his death, the four people would open the first secret message together. When the new emperor ascends the throne, a second secret message is opened to the new emperor.
In this way, when Yongzheng died, the four of them opened the first secret will, greeted the four brothers to become emperors, and then handed over the second secret will to the new emperor together.
Later, when the new emperor succeeded to the throne, the Qianlong Emperor publicly read out the second secret decree, that is, to leave Zhang Tingyu and Ortai to the new emperor to become vassals of the auxiliary state.
Interestingly, in the second secret instruction, Zhang Tingyu was before Ortai. Don't underestimate this arrangement, there are many articles in this. In the Qing Dynasty, the Manchus were actually more noble than the Han, but in the second secret decree, Yongzheng placed the Han Zhang Tingyu before the Manchu Ortai, which was enough to witness Yongzheng's attention to Zhang Tingyu. But historians have also interpreted another meaning. That is, the status of the Han people is getting higher and higher, and further Sinicization is the direction of the continued development of the Qing Dynasty. However, if you think about it carefully, it is true that the Han nationality is the big family of society after all, especially such a dynasty established by ethnic minorities, if it cannot appease the Han people very well, then social turmoil is inevitable. Perhaps Yongzheng saw this and put Zhang Tingyu's position before Ortai.
It was also in this way that Qianlong, in accordance with the planning and help of the Yongzheng Emperor, created the prosperous world of Kangqian step by step. History records that when Kangqian was prosperous, the national strength was prosperous, the neighbors were divided, and the people lived in peace. I think that Yongzheng's credit is indispensable.