preface
In the later years of the Kangxi Dynasty, who would inherit the reign became the focus of attention of the Manchu courtiers. The dramatic process and results of the nine sons are still talked about today. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he severely punished his brothers who participated in the seizure of the throne,
However, Yongzheng only let go of the ten brothers, which can't help but make people feel strange, but in fact, it's not that Yongzheng doesn't want to move him, he doesn't dare to move him.
Although Yin Gong was also imprisoned by Yongzheng later, he and the fourteenth Brother Yinhe, both of whom ended well, were released after Qianlong succeeded to the throne, regained their titles, and enjoyed prosperity and wealth until old age.
First, the brothers are on the wall, and the nine sons are seized
In the later years of the Kangxi Dynasty, the eldest brother and the crown prince fought openly and secretly, losing each other, allowing the road to open the way for other princes. The three brothers coveted the position of prince, the four brothers were brave to compete, and the eight brothers also came to compete for a place. The strength of the fourth brother and the eighth brother are equal, so a fierce situation has been formed.
In this battle between brothers and sisters, the ten brothers and nephews sided with the eight brothers. He had a gentle personality and did not have much political ambition, but because his mother Concubine Wen Xi and Ba'a Ge's biological mother came from the same family, he supported this sibling.
As a bystander in a political struggle, Shi Ge Yin's heart is undoubtedly very complicated. He and Ba'a Ge are not the same brothers, but because his mother Wen Xi Guifei and Ba'a Ge's biological mother are from the same ethnicity, they are on his side. Political struggles have always been brutal, and it is difficult to determine whether Yin Gong genuinely supports Ba'a Ge as the crown prince, or just fulfills his brotherhood.
Perhaps deep down, Yin Gong is not very optimistic about the eight brothers seizing the concubine. Ba'a Ge's biological mother is not a harem concubine, and her strength is far inferior to those powerful harem concubines. How could Yin Gong not know the difficulty of this seizure? However, his mother is of the same family as the eight brothers, and it is indispensable to support him.
The consequences of the failure of the seizure are so serious, which also dooms Yin Gong to make a desperate bet. He has a gentle personality and is usually content with the status quo, but once he is involved in the political vortex, he can only go with the flow and secretly worry. He must not have much expectation of winning, just hope that no matter whether he wins or loses, he will not suffer too much.
Second, Yongzheng ascended the throne, and the fate of the princes was different
The four Agoyongzheng finally won the victory and ascended the throne. He remembered the various encounters in the seizure of the concubine, and held many grudges against the imperial brothers who had been hostile to him.
The third brother was stripped of his knighthood and placed under house arrest at home; Baa Ge was not only deposed from the title, but also subjected to many other humiliations. However, the ten brothers were only banned by the knighthood, which can be said to be the most advantageous compared to other imperial brothers.
Yongzheng stripped him of his title and placed him under house arrest, which was enough punishment for him. After all, Yin Zheng did not put Yongzheng to death, but only supported Eight Brothers with brotherhood. Yongzheng also understood that Yin Zheng did not have outstanding political ambitions, so his subordinates showed mercy and did not punish him severely.
Yin Yu may breathe a sigh of relief in his heart after learning of this result. He was not a contender for the throne, and it was already a blessing to be able to retreat with his whole body and save his life. It is a pity to lose the knighthood, but compared to the tragic fate of other imperial brothers, this can also be said to be the best arrangement.
From Yongzheng's point of view, letting go of Yin Zheng also has its political considerations. Yin's mother clan is powerful, and although it does not pose a threat to the imperial throne, it is easy to set fire to his death if he is severely punished. Yongzheng needs to be cautious about this force, so his subordinates also have leeway.
Third, a strong background, the blessing of ten brothers
The reason why Brother Shi was treated by Yongzheng was mainly related to the strength of his mother's family. Concubine Wen's grandfather was a famous minister of the founding state, and her maternal ancestor's family was also one of the eight surnames of Manchuria, and the power should not be underestimated.
Coupled with the fact that Concubine Wen was inextricably linked with the queen's mother's family, this made Yongzheng dare not dispose of the tenth brother at will, and could only show mercy to his subordinates.
As a generation of virtuous concubines, Concubine Wen was respected in the palace. After she gave birth to her nephew, she would take good care of this beloved son. Wen Guifei's foreign power is powerful, and she is deeply favored by Kangxi. This makes her fearless, and sometimes even a little bossy.
During the struggle for imperial power, Concubine Wen did not flinch and defended her son's interests. She united with the Manchu Dynasty's civil and military officials to form a force that could not be ignored to support Yin. This made Yongzheng dare not blatantly punish Yin Zheng even if he was dissatisfied with Yin.
Wen Guifei's foreign family has achieved outstanding feats for generations, which makes Yongzheng have to be afraid of three points. This small tree was born in the shade of such a huge tree, of course, Yongzheng did not dare to move it at will. He had to make a superficial statement and cut off his knighthood to calm his dissatisfaction.
4. Kangxi favored, the blessing of ten brothers
Not only that, but Brother Ten also had a place in Kangxi's mind. When he entered the palace, he obtained the position of county king, which shows that he was favored by Kangxi.
Before the death of the first emperor, he also gave ten brothers to the empress's niece and others, which shows the importance attached to him. This made Yongzheng dare not easily harm the interests of Brother Shi.
The reason why he was favored by Kangxi, the maternal power of the ten brothers can also be said to be an important factor. Kangxi often treated powerful concubines and princes with extra courtesy
Yin Nephew has been cared for since birth, has no worries about food and clothing, and lives a good life. He had a gentle and submissive personality, and was also loved by Kangxi. Kangxi often said that he was his smartest child, because he could get away with it without fighting.
In Kangxi's mind, Yin Gong was the prince who reassured him the most. He has no intention of rebellion and a powerful matriarch as a backer. Therefore, Kangxi also attached great importance to him, made him the king of the county, and treated him with courtesy.
This obvious preferential treatment makes even Yongzheng, who is quite critical of Yin, have to give more consideration to the disposal and cannot act arbitrarily.
5. After the confinement, the rest of the life of the tenth brother
Despite being confined, Brother Ten's life is quite easy. A few years later, Yongzheng died, and Brother Shi was released from the hands of his nephew Qianlong.
He restored the title of Duke of Fuguo, and his power fell for a while, and he lived a prosperous life until his death. It seems that the strong background and the favor of the previous emperor allowed the tenth brother to escape a catastrophe and preserve the title and glory.
The days of being trapped at home did not have much impact on Yin. He is a low-key person, and he does not care about power and glory on weekdays. Being able to live in peace is his wish.
As for the sizing of the title, it seemed to him to be like losing a piece of clothing. When Qianlong ascended the throne, he was able to regain his knighthood, and everything was the same.
It can be said that Yin Gong is the luckiest one in this Nine Sons Raid. When the princes competed with me, he was just watching from the background. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he quickly fell silent, and finally retreated with his whole body and lived the life he expected.
epilogue
The history of the Nine Sons being seized is both fierce and complicated, and it is strange that Yongzheng spared the Ten Brothers. However, time has passed, and everything has turned into historical dust. We should not be limited by stereotypes, but must gain insight into the essence of things in order to find the true meaning of history.