Thanks to various film and television works with the theme of the Qing Palace, most people know more about the Qing Dynasty.
And the Nine Dragons Victory is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people because of the bloody and deep display of the imperial power struggle, and is part of many Qing palace dramas.
And as the victor of the Nine Dragons, Yongzheng is indeed a good emperor who is diligent and down-to-earth.
However, because several of his opponents had their own merits, some people said that if Kangxi Chuan had placed on him, the Qing Dynasty would probably become a superpower, and the Eight-Nation Alliance might not be a threat.
The victory of the four brothers
In the battle for heirs during the Kangxi period, there was never a shortage of talented candidates.
As the saying goes: "Most of the heirs to the throne are vacillating because they really can't pick a capable son, only Kangxi is the opposite."
And only the battle for the throne during the Kangxi period can be called the Nine Dragons Victory.
These nine sons were strong contenders for the throne in any other dynasty, but they met many brothers who were equal to their abilities, and they all had the same goals and ambitions, so it was inevitable that there would be a fight.
In this battle, in addition to showing their ability in front of the emperor, the princes also had to pay attention to how not to arouse the emperor's suspicion and suspicion.
After all, if the son behaves too prominently, once covering up the emperor's prestige, the side of the bed will not allow others to snore, and no matter how strong this son is, he will also be disgusted by the emperor.
Yongzheng himself did show enough to make Kangxi let his guard down.
During the period of the prince, he was sharp and insightful, and he firmly supported the crown prince, seemingly pleased and sincere to the prince, but in fact loyal to Kangxi.
After the crown prince experienced several deposations, Yongzheng also saw the clue from Kangxi's attitude, and did not appear in the crowd of people who were pleading for the deposed prince.
The position of the prince is vacant, other princes are about to move, and the eighth brother is even relying on the resources in his hand to move up and down.
But Kangxi was not an ordinary emperor, he had long seen what Baa Ge had done, and he also understood this son's ambition.
Kangxi admired the prince with goals, but could not accept that Baa Ge was wooing everywhere, and even gradually crossed the line.
Compared with the eight brothers, Yongzheng at that time was very "mediocre".
He claimed to be an idler and admired Taoism, not only did he not have red eyes with his brothers in the court, but he also showed great generosity and brotherhood;
He also treated Kangxi with respect, sincerity and filial piety, and never showed a desire to encroach on imperial power, thus gaining Kangxi's trust.
Yongzheng's imperial throne was not easy to come by, and if he wanted to gain imperial power, he must respect and fear imperial power, perhaps this is his winning policy.
However, as long as it is competition, there must be wins and losses, which does not mean that other brothers do not have the capital to be emperors.
Therefore, some people also wondered if the thirteenth prince Yinxiang took over as Kangxi, would the Qing Dynasty be a different ending?
Desperate Thirteen
The palms and backs of the hands are all meat, but as an emperor, there must be a more preferred candidate in the face of many excellent children.
Yin Xiang is the more favored of the brothers.
Although he was born late, the position is also the "thirteenth son" who is more awkward.
But Yinxiang was also highly regarded by Kangxi, and during his youth, between the ages of 12 and 22, Kangxi would take him with him wherever he went.
In addition to liking to bring the thirteenth prince, Kangxi also likes to hand over to Yinxiang to handle any important military affairs.
The result naturally does not need to be said, from Kangxi's ten years of trust, it can be seen that Yinxiang's work style is absolutely in line with Kangxi's value orientation.
Among them, there are indeed plans made by Yin Xiang to figure out the divine will, but more are the habits and styles that have been slowly developed by accompanying Kangxi for a long time.
In addition to his work style, Yin Xiang is also proficient in riding and shooting.
Killing a tiger with a blade on a hunting ground parade is amazingly brave and decisive.
The Manchu Qing Dynasty seized the world on horseback, and Yinxiang, who was capable of writing and martial arts, naturally became a red man in the eyes of Kangxi.
Even Kangxi jokingly called his son "Desperate Thirteen Lang", which shows that Kangxi attaches great importance to Yinxiang.
Strangely, when Kangxi first deposed the crown prince, Yinxiang was also affected, and he was imprisoned for less than a year.
Historians have never had a unified explanation for this.
After Yinxiang fell out of favor, Kangxi began to choose shifts for the prince's entourage to travel, and Yinxiang was among them.
It wasn't until Yongzheng ascended the throne to reuse Yinxiang, the 9th iron hat king in the history of the Qing Dynasty, began to shine.
The years he spent by Kangxi's side were not wasted, and Yinxiang, who was in charge, performed excellently, whether it was the military in the northwest, water conservancy and water affairs, forbidden army management, military quartermaster preparation...
Even how well the foreign missionaries were accommodated, he could handle them in an orderly manner.
The cautious Yongzheng can give Yin Yu authority without scruples, and will also show his dependence and gratitude to Yin Yu in front of his courtiers many times.
Yinxiang during the Yongzheng period was not so much a virtuous king as an all-powerful king.
Even the most picky people can't find Yinxiang's lack and omissions.
It is not difficult to understand why Yinxiang was the only courtier in the Qing Dynasty who did not have to shy away from the name of the emperor.
Yinxiang, who had been shunned by the Yongzheng charter, was changed back to the character "Yin", and such favor is unique in the entire history.
Yin Xiang's talent should not be underestimated, so what difference would it be if he became emperor?
Yin Xiang's differences
Compared to other princes, what distinguishes Yin Xiang most is his curiosity.
He respected Western missionaries, treated them with great modesty and courtesy, and never put on the shelves of royalty and aristocrats.
The reason is because Yinxiang really wants to learn more about the West, see more about the development of countries around the world, and actively learn more advanced places from the other side.
In the process of receiving missionaries, Yin Xiang was particularly interested in Western guns and bullets.
He also hoped to be able to use these advanced military methods in the Qing Dynasty's army, which was strange and invaluable to other ministers, and Yin Xiang was like a treasure every time he saw it.
Therefore, some people imagine that if Yinxiang sits on the throne, he will inevitably treat foreign cultures with a more open and positive attitude, learning from each other's strengths.
With Yinxiang's breakthrough ahead, the Qing Dynasty would not suffer the loss of closing the country and become a big ship of decay.
Imagination is just imagination, the defeat of the late Qing Dynasty is not only the weakness of military strength, but also the backwardness of the system.
But history is always moving forward, and under the feudal system, no matter what kind of foreign guns and fast cannons there are, it is futile, and the Qing Dynasty has long been "rotten" to the bone, and it is not a single Yinxiang who can turn things around.