Preface
After Yongzheng ascended the throne, what kind of twists and turns did the fate of the three princes who did not participate in the seizure of succession, Yinli, Yinlu, and Yinyu? How did they cope with the changes and maintain what kind of family relationship did they maintain under the rule of Emperor Yongzheng? Did these three brothers suffer from the palace struggle because they did not participate in the seizure of the heir, or did they have an unexpected ending?
The seventeenth elder brother was almost dragged into the water
The seventeenth elder brother Yinli was born in the thirty-sixth year of Kangxi, more than ten years younger than the fourth elder brother, and has missed the golden period of seizing the heir. However, even if he did not participate in the struggle for the throne, he was quite favored by Kangxi.
Yinli's biological mother, Chunyu Qinfei Chen, was gentle and wise, from Manchuria with the Yellow Banner, and was the daughter of a second-class guard. The Chen family observed the way of survival in the harem and taught his low-key prudence to his son Yinli. She taught Yinli to always remember her identity and respect her brothers; At the same time, we should also be cautious and avoid participating in court disputes.
Under the influence of his mother, Yinli has a gentle temperament and is low-key. He was not as arrogant and ostentatious as his brothers, but quietly studied and practiced martial arts on the sidelines, careful not to step into the political turmoil. Even though Beijing is already a party dispute, Kangxi admires him a lot.
It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, when the fourth elder brother Yinzhen finally won the throne, and the seventeenth elder brother could not be alone on the night of his accession to the throne, when Yinzhen's supporters cheered, Yinli, who was only in his twenties, was uncertain. He didn't know much about the previous battle for the throne, and he was a little at a loss for a while. What's even worse is that his son-in-law is still one of the four elder brothers' sworn enemies, Ah Ling'a! This relationship is bound to attract the suspicion of the new monarch.
Sure enough, after Yongzheng ascended the throne, he soon paid attention to Yinli. The eunuch on duty reported to him that night, and the seventeenth elder brother looked embarrassed and resistant, which deepened Yongzheng's suspicions - could it be that this young man had bad intentions?
Thinking of the in-law relationship between Yinli and Alinga, Yongzheng felt a headache. You must know that he is only twenty years old and has been firmly seated in the country, and what he is most worried about at this moment is that someone is plotting to rebel. An imperial uncle who has a close relationship with Alinga is simply a time bomb!
At that moment, Yongzheng wanted to directly exile Yinli to Jingling and associate himself with several prisoner brothers who were under house arrest, so as to save him from having different intentions in the future! Long Keduo said that the seventeenth elder brother is still young and has no substantive interests with political opponents. It's better to observe him for a few years first, and he will naturally hand over his sincerity in the future.
However, Yongzheng still decided to take it personally. He summoned the thirteenth elder brother Yinxiang to discuss the disposition of the seventeenth elder brother. Unexpectedly, Yinxiang said something good about Yinli, which made Yongzheng dispel the idea of purging.
Listening to his brother's advice, Yongzheng was a little calmer. Maybe it's really as Yinxiang said, he was overly sensitive and made a big fuss. So he decided to let the seventeenth elder brother go for the time being, but privately ordered his henchmen to continue to keep an eye on this young imperial uncle.
In the future, it turned out that Yinxiang's judgment was not wrong. Yinli has no intention of rebelling, but is just a little timid. Watching him indulge in reading day by day, Yongzheng gradually let down his guard and began to promote this younger brother frequently. It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, Yinli, like the thirteenth elder brother, was sick due to hard work, and died of illness in his early forties
The sixteenth elder brother is the fourth brother platform
The sixteenth elder brother Yinlu and the fifteenth elder brother Yinlu have the same mother, and the biological mother is the secret concubine Wang. Wang was originally a Han girl outside the palace favored by Kangxi, and later entered the palace as a concubine. However, the biological mother's status is low, and the two brothers are destined to miss the throne.
In contrast, Yinlu is talented, diligent and studious, and is already a civil and military all-round talent in his early twenties. He did not participate in the struggle for the throne, but he is very likely to be an invisible supporter of the fourth elder brother's succession. For example, on the night of his accession to the throne, Yongzheng deliberately arranged for him to be in charge of palace defense - such an important task must be entrusted to his henchmen.
Yinlu won the trust of Yongzheng, and after that, he inherited the hereditary position of his deceased brother Bo Guoduo and became Prince Zhuang. In the court, he was relied on by Yongzheng to assist in handling the major affairs of the Internal Affairs Office and the Zongren Palace. At the time, everyone knew that he fought against the thirteen elder brothers and joined forces to assist the Ming Dynasty.
stood up for the fourth elder brother, and Yinlu later had a dispute with the third elder brother over etiquette, so that the third elder brother was severely labeled as a "disrespectful crime". At the funeral of the thirteenth elder brother, the third elder brother was absent-minded and distracted, which made Yinlu furious. He immediately reported to Yongzheng that the third elder brother had lost his manners, and asked Yongzheng to remove him from the position of prince and confine him at home.
Unexpectedly, Yongzheng did as he was told, and directly slashed the third elder brother's position of power! For this reason, Yinlu left an impression of "great power" in the hearts of many imperial relatives -- he could suppress dissidents as he wished, and ask the monarch to stand up for himself. This made some princes very uncomfortable, and secretly complained about Yinlu.
Even in the Qianlong Dynasty, the sixteenth elder brother still leaned towards the government and the opposition. At first, Qianlong was not good at blatantly punishing this arrogant uncle. Later, Yinlu himself saw it and took the initiative to retreat, so he didn't cause trouble again. As a generation of iron hat kings, he is not only a loyal supporter of the fourth elder brother, but also a real winner in life.
The fifteenth elder brother is the most mediocre
Compared with the life of his biological brother Sixteenth Elder Brother who has a smooth sailing and a smooth career, the experience of the fifteenth elder brother Yinyu is much more ordinary.
He was born in the same month and the same year as his brother Yinlu, and was originally a twin son born to the same mother. However, the two have very different personalities since childhood, Yinlu is diligent and hardworking, and is deeply loved by the elders; And Yinyu has been lazy and casual since he was a child, neither reading nor enterprising, only knowing how to have fun all day long.
In fact, the reason why Yinyu is lazy is also related to his biological mother Wang. Wang was originally a favorite concubine outside the palace, but was later named a concubine by Kangxi, so he took his two sons into the palace. Compared with the strict palace rules, the Wang family is really too spoiled by their sons. She refuses to let her children suffer a little, and prepares delicious food for them all day long, lest they not have enough to eat.
This pampered education method has greatly changed Yinlu's temperament. He spends his days doing nothing, and all he knows is eating, drinking, and being merry. Kangxi was stern and extremely disgusted with his lazy style, and gradually alienated this son.
Yinyu, who was born in the 32nd year of Kangxi, is more than ten years younger than the fourth elder brother, so he has no chance to participate in the battle for the throne. coupled with his lazy style, he was even more alienated by Kangxi. Yongzheng, who entered the inner hall, was not too thin for this younger brother, but just sent him to the periphery of the Qing Dongling Tomb to play - a relaxed and comfortable messenger.
Four years later, Yongzheng was a little unbearable, and symbolically named Yinyu as the king of Yujun, but did not give him real power and political position. Until he died, Yinyu did not take off Baylor's title, and only became an idle imperial uncle who ate Lu. Compared with the hard-working siblings, this county king has mediocre political achievements and can be called the most mediocre prince.
epilogue
There are many outstanding sons of Kangxi, but there are also mediocre people. The fourth elder brother and the eighth elder brother who participated in the succession all left their mark on history with different attitudes; Among the non-participants, the seventeenth elder brother and the sixteenth elder brother also have their own fate and play their own unique roles. Only the fifteenth elder brother is like a lonely boat in the vast ocean, and in the end he did not leave any contribution worth mentioning.
However, we can't deny the existence of such a mediocre person as Yinyu because of this. Just as there are always big waves in the sea, there must be a corner of calm. History originates from the human heart, and the magnificence of the heart of every insignificant individual is by no means beyond our imagination. Perhaps in Yinyu's inner world, there is still a magnificent life drama staged.
Therefore, we should not only look at those outstanding talents who are "late bloomers", and those who end up "making a blockbuster". History is ruthless but fair, and not every prince can go to glory. But throughout their lives, they are still full of legends and stories. We have to ask, can an ordinary person have an interesting life like any of them?