By the time Yongzheng ascended the throne, the eldest brother Yinzhen had been imprisoned for 14 years. During Yongzheng's reign, Yin Washi was imprisoned for another 12 years. Yin Zhen was imprisoned for 26 years, and was only 37 years old when he first entered the high wall, which was the age of prosperity. He was 63 years old when he died, and he was a dying old man in ancient times. Then, after the Yongzheng Emperor came to power, why didn't he release Yin Zhen?
(Yongzheng stills)
Logically, Yongzheng should have released Yin Zhen at that time.
At first, Yongzheng was not superficially involved in the battle for the position. The people who competed were mainly the Eldest Brother, the Eighth Brother, the Fourteenth Brother, and the Prince Yinrong. Yongzheng was on the sidelines, at least Mingli did not do so. Although secretly he gained Kangxi's approval through filial piety to Kangxi. However, this was done secretly, and on the surface, he did not have a direct conflict with the other brothers.
It is precisely because Yongzheng is not superficially involved in the battle for the throne, and there is no direct conflict with other brothers. Therefore, after he came to power, he made a gesture of reconciliation and a gesture of great unity.
For example, he made Yin Yu the Prince of Heshuo Lian and made him the prime minister of government affairs with the thirteen brothers Yin Xiang, Ma Qi, and Long Keduo. For another example, after Yongzheng summoned him, the fourteen brothers who had a direct conflict with him for the throne, did not severely attack him, but let him study behind closed doors. Moreover, he was granted the title of king of the county. It can be said that at that time, Yongzheng made a gesture of reconciliation.
Since Yongzheng had made a posture of reconciliation and great unity, then he should release the Great Brother Yinzhen. Wouldn't that be a better reflection of his reconciliation? Why didn't he do that?
(Yin Zhen stills)
I think that after Yongzheng came to power, he made a conciliatory gesture, which was actually a fake, a kind of appearance. He did not think about reconciliation, but was ready to crack down the brothers who had competed for the position.
Although they did not regard him as a real enemy at first, because he "accidentally" obtained the throne (at least in the hearts of the brothers, he was very unexpected), so the brothers were very dissatisfied. It's just that although they are dissatisfied, after all, the imperial power is strict, they just mutter, or talk in private, but they do not show it in action.
The situation of the brothers is very clear. Therefore, what he did at that time was to arouse this dissatisfaction of the brothers, let them express something in words or deeds, so as to severely crack down on them.
Yongzheng's method was to promote the leader of the struggle for the throne, Yin Yu, and at the same time attack Yin Yu's henchmen. For example, in the name of sending the prince to the army, he sent the Ninth Brother Yinyu to Xining. Yin Yu did not go, but also said that Yongzheng was doing this to "overpower the brothers". Yongzheng just waited for him not to go, just waited for him to say something like that. In this way, Yongzheng naturally punished him. Then, Yongzheng used the same method to dispose of the Ten Brothers yin and the fourteen brothers.
When Yin Yu's henchmen were all disposed of, Yongzheng finally disposed of Yin Yu.
(Yin Yu stills)
Since Yongzheng had deliberately disposed of those brothers who had competed for the throne at the beginning, how could he possibly release Yin Zhen?
You must know that Yin Yu is really a more terrifying opponent than Yin Yu and others. His horror is not to say how high his plan is, on the contrary, he has no plan and does things recklessly. But this man's methods are very vicious, and his mind is very vicious.
At that time, when he was vying with Yin Rong for the throne, he said that he wanted to help Kangxi kill Yin Rong, that Yin Yu would be "a great noble man in the future", and that he had also engaged in such a thing as using witchcraft to harm Yin Rong.
Kangxi had already seen that this Yin Zhen was very harmful, so he imprisoned him for 14 years and did not release him. Moreover, every time Kangxi went out to patrol or something, he would also send more personnel to guard Yin Zhen. Afraid that when he was not there, Yin Yu would come out and do something terrible.
If this was the case, how could Yongzheng still release Yin Zhen? Isn't it to get yourself into trouble by releasing it? If he doesn't release it, no one says that he Yongzheng did something wrong; if he releases it, Yin Zhen will definitely make trouble. Yongzheng would of course choose not to release it.
As for why Yongzheng did not release Yin Zhen until he died. That's because during the entire reign of Yongzheng, the Brothers were attacked, but they still didn't stop. Therefore, Yin Zhen did not get a good time until his death.
(Reference: Draft History of the Qing Dynasty)