Preface
If after Kangxi's death, the crown prince Yinren became emperor, would he do better than Yongzheng? This historical assumption has triggered conjectures and reflections on the historical trend of the Qing Dynasty. What kind of governing ability and ruling style were hidden between Prince Yinren and Yongzheng? Under this historical background, is it possible for Prince Yinren to lead the Qing Dynasty to a more prosperous and stable period?
This historical hypothesis is not only a reflection on the Kangxi era, but also a discussion of the possibility of historical development. Did the crown prince Yinren have the leadership and political wisdom to surpass Yongzheng, and if he became emperor, would he be able to avoid some of the turmoil and difficulties of the later Qing Dynasty?
1. The crown prince is very petted, and he is extremely obscene
Hesheri unfortunately died early, and Yinren, who was only two years old, was determined to be the crown prince by Kangxi. Kangxi seems to want to make up for the guilt of his deceased wife. The prince's east palace is extremely magnificent, Yinren's life is no less than that of the emperor, there are full-time eunuchs to serve, and the food enjoyed during meals is almost the same as that of the emperor.
However, others only said that the yellow robe was fortunate, and how many people would get the burden of expectations and responsibilities that were placed on him? Yinren was arrogant by nature, and such a privileged environment was more likely to fuel his arrogance.
Kangxi doted on Yinren in every possible way, and did not shy away from suspicion to let the civil and military officials kneel three times and bow nine times to him. On important festivals, the courtiers had to bow to the crown prince twice and six times, but they didn't call him the little emperor directly. This kind of doting behavior made Yinren feel that the power was already in his hands. His greed and ambition swelled to the brim. Even complained from time to time that the emperor died too slowly!
2. Reckless behavior leads to jealousy and hatred
Kangxi doted deeply, and on the other hand, it also made the other princes feel deeply lost. Especially the younger brothers Yinzhi and Yinzhi hate Yinren to the core. Yinren not only has a respected status, but Kangxi also opened the Yamen of Zhan Shifu, which is exclusive to the prince, to serve the crown prince. The civil and military officials were also respectful to Yinren.
This differential treatment made the other princes dissatisfied. Yinren knows that his siblings are jealous of him, but he is narrow-minded and does not know how to be gentle with his siblings. In order to vent his anger and displeasure, he made it even more difficult and humiliated his other brothers to show his power. The brothers were indignant, and resentment grew in their hearts. They secretly exchanged information with each other and discussed countermeasures.
Or ask, why does the prince bother so much with his siblings? Brothers, friends, and brothers are the foundation of governing the country. Kangxi worked hard to manage the overall situation, how could he allow him to be arrogant and domineering and cause family changes? As the position of the prince, he should be generous to others, and only by being gentle and fraternal can he conform to the demeanor of a king.
3. Misconduct lost the position of prince
In 1696, during Kangxi's personal expedition to Galdan, he was bedridden due to the defeat in the war. He sent Yinren to offer condolences and act as an agent for political affairs. However, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was only interested in pleasure, and threw the case into a corner and left it to pile up! When he finally looked through it, the documents were covered in a thick layer of dust.
Kangxi was furious when he returned from illness, why did this kid waste political affairs so much? When our side was in danger, His Royal Highness An Neng stood by and watched? How could this state affairs allow you to wait for child's play? Since then, Kangxi has been quite suspicious of Yinren. Can such a lazy and incompetent prince really win the throne?
In 1696, Kangxi once again personally conquered Galdan. This time, the little prince finally showed some diligence, but the political affairs were still delayed. When the emperor triumphed, he was once again disappointed. This kid is obviously very domineering on weekdays, but at critical moments, he is vain and wronged, and Kangxi can't stand it anymore. How can the crown prince act recklessly? He must be severely punished!
Fourth, be satisfied and invite trouble
In 1708, Yinren was so proud that he secretly sent others to eavesdrop on the emperor's movements. What made Kangxi even more angry was that he dared to withhold the tribute of the Mongolian chieftain as his own! Such a treacherous act was really outrageous!
In a fit of rage, Kangxi officially deposed the crown prince of Yinren. He decided that this kid was complacent, arrogant and lascivious, and no longer had the gentle and filial appearance of his father. Now we are bullying others and greedy for our nature, and succeeding to the throne in the future will only cause great disasters! How can our sons and daughters follow the example of the sages, but only for their own pleasure?
Yinren collapsed and fell to the bottom. Reduced to a commoner, he was depressed and frustrated. The golden and glorious East Palace of the Crown Prince is now empty and lonely, which has become his eternal pain. In the face of this ruined life, Yinren died without repentance. He intensified his curse on the emperor and his brothers who took away his crown princehood. But what's the use of all this?
Fifth, Yongzheng ascended the throne to promote the holy rule
Yinren sank and gave way to Emperor Yongzheng to rule the world. This little emperor is well versed in politics and is diligent in government and loves the people. He was not discouraged by the reality of the reversal of the country's fortunes, but worked hard to govern the government. The Qing Dynasty seemed to usher in new hope.
Emperor Yongzheng was diligent and studious, inherited Kangxi's legacy, and worked hard. He inherited Kangxi's old practice and diligently reviewed and read the recitals to understand the people's suffering. Within a day, as few as twenty or thirty pieces, as many as fifty or sixty pieces, all of them were corrected.
Yongzheng knows that his diligent and dedicated style is different from Yinren's lazy and wasteful political affairs. Therefore, he deliberately explained to his subjects the reason for the deposition of the prince, and explained the various faults and crimes of the little prince. Yongzheng told him so frankly that the subjects were full of expectations for the emperor's new policy.
As a monarch, this responsibility and responsibility are admired by my generation. During the reign of Yongzheng, a total of more than 41,600 pieces were approved. The daily schedule is full, and there is no time to spare. In order to cure the country's sores and the people's malaise, he has always remained sober and adhered to his duty. This is true kinghood!
epilogue
The vicissitudes of the world are impermanent. The little prince was born in the Forbidden City, and could have gotten along day and night; Declined civilians, but only hosts and westerners. The ups and downs of this fate made my generation sigh. Yinren degenerated from a prince to a concubine, let alone an emperor, even ordinary people can be contemptuous. But how can we conclude that his nature is so unbearable?
If such a solid backing can teach him to distinguish etiquette and love the people with benevolence and tenderness, wouldn't it be a great deal for the Qing Dynasty?
My generation can't help but wonder, if Yinren had more restraint and less arrogance, would he have been able to turn things around and let the Qing Dynasty reappear in the prosperous era of Kangqian? This human life has come and gone in such a uncertain way, and the rise and fall are impermanent; How can our generation live a comfortable life? The wind is sluggish and the water is cold, and my generation will not live up to this life.
This historical assumption provides an in-depth reflection on the personality and decision-making power of the leader and the fate of the dynasty. By comparing some of the pitfalls of the Kangxi era with the successful reforms of Yongzheng, we may be able to better understand the key role of leaders in historical development and the far-reaching impact of their decisions on the direction of the country.