Did Yin Zhen usurp the throne through conspiracy?

How Yongzheng ascended the throne of the emperor is one of the three mysteries in the Qing Dynasty, and it is also the most complicated one. All kinds of rumors are raging, and it is still an unsolved mystery. There are three representative views on Yongzheng's succession: the theory of succession by testamentary edict, the theory of usurpation by changing imperial edict and the theory of seizing the throne without imperial edict. Is Yongzheng's throne positive or negative? Is it succession or usurpation? Since Yin ascended the throne, it has been a controversial topic for hundreds of years. According to official records, Yin Zhen ascended the throne in the form of an imperial edict from Kangxi. At the end of 1722, Kangxi's illness suddenly deteriorated and he was introduced to the princes. Soon, the third son, the seventh son, the eighth son, the ninth son, the tenth son, the twelfth son, the thirteenth son, and the infantry commander Longkeduo all went to the imperial couch and listened to Kangxi's will: "Yin Zhen, the fourth son of the emperor, is noble in character and will certainly inherit the Great Unity and my throne, that is, the emperor's throne." This imperial edict was unexpected, and it is said that Yin Zhen was also surprised when he learned it. On February 20th, 65438, Emperor Kangxi died. Seven days later, Yin Zhen, the fourth son of the emperor, succeeded to the throne. In the second year, the title was changed to Yongzheng. Soon, the legend of Yongzheng's usurpation began to spread, which triggered a heated debate between the theory of usurpation and the theory of legal succession. In folklore, there are many versions of Yongzheng's usurpation of the throne, the most representative of which are: First, "Yongzheng changed the imperial edict": after Prince Yin Gui was abolished, Kangxi especially loved fourteen sons Yin Gui. Yongzheng is the fourth son of Kangxi. Kangxi originally wanted to pass the throne to fourteen sons, but Yin Zi was the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition and was not in Beijing at that time, so Yongzheng, who was in power, colluded with Long Keduo and Nian Gengyao and secretly changed the word "ten" in the imperial edict to "imperial", so after Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, the imperial edict changed from "fourteen sons" to "four sons", and Yunchan was transferred back to Beijing to be imprisoned. The Queen Mother wanted to see Yunchan, but Yongzheng refused, and the Queen Mother died in a rage. Second, "Longkodo changed the imperial edict": Longkodo was the commander of the infantry at that time, in charge of the guards and garrison power of Kangxi, and was the uncle of Yongzheng. At that time, only he could approach Kangxi when he was seriously ill, and issued a decree that Yunchan, who was far away in Xining, should return to Beijing urgently and hand it over to him. But Longkodo had a testamentary edict in his hand and didn't send it out. When Kangxi died, Longkeduo made a false imperial edict and established four emperors, Yin Zhen, namely Yongzheng. There is another version of "Longkodo changed the imperial edict": just after Kangxi's death, Longkodo quickly took out the imperial edict hidden there from behind the "fair and bright" plaque and changed the "fourteen sons" to "four sons". The third is "Yongzheng Poisoning Theory": When Kangxi was seriously ill, Yin Zhen ate a bowl of ginseng chicken soup, and Kangxi died after drinking it. It is also said that Yongzheng angered Kangxi and plotted to reign. Fourthly, Nian Gengyao changed the imperial edict: Nian Gengyao is the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, and it is said that Yongzheng's mother had an affair with him. Yongzheng was the illegitimate child of Nian Gengyao, and Nian Gengyao changed the dynasty. These legends describe Yongzheng as a tyrant who killed his father and forced his mother, usurped the throne and killed his brother. Among these legends, the most crucial thing is whether Yongzheng usurped the throne or succeeded to the throne. In the eyes of historians, most of these folklores are groundless. For example, it is impossible to change "transmitting fourteen sons" to "transmitting four sons", because the imperial edict of Kangxi was written in Manchu and Chinese, while the word "Yu" in Chinese is a traditional Chinese character. It is not that simple to change the imperial edict from "ten" to "Yu", let alone Manchu. As can be seen from the Kangxi Testament preserved to this day, it reads: "Yin Zhen, the fourth son of Prince Yong, is of noble character. With a deep bow, he will surely inherit the Great Unity. Follow me to the throne, which is the throne. " It is not as simple as the legendary "to the fourth son". Judging from the testamentary edict, it is absolutely impossible to change the so-called statement that it was passed on to the four emperors. Kangxi couldn't have been poisoned by ginseng chicken soup offered by Yongzheng, because Kangxi didn't like it at all. Because Kangxi was proficient in medical skills, he repeatedly said that ginseng was suitable for southerners and not for northerners, so Yongzheng would not use ginseng soup to cheat. Longkodo's stealing the imperial edict is also not in line with history, because the system of putting secret orders behind the board began in Yongzheng. It is nonsense to say that Yongzheng is the illegitimate child of Nian Gengyao, because Yongzheng is older than Nian Gengyao. Besides, the relationship between Nian Gengyao and Yongzheng is not necessarily very close. At the same time, as the governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, it is impossible for him to muzzle the Fuyuan general Yin Gui in the Western Expedition. Yin Gui's troops are not many. Even though he knew that the capital had changed, he dared not make a move. Nian Gengyao, there's no need to muzzle him. Finally, judging from the situation in the last years of Kangxi, Yongzheng may be the best candidate for the emperor. In Wang Zizhong, which has the strength to compete for the throne, Yin Yong, the eldest son of the emperor, was demoted for seeking the throne too quickly, and the eight sons of the emperor also made the same mistake. Although the Fourteen Sons were prominent, judging from various signs, they were not recognized as successors by Kangxi. Yongzheng, on the other hand, was very cunning. On the surface, he had a good relationship with his brothers and won the favor of Kangxi. In his later years, Kangxi ordered him to sacrifice to heaven many times to show his special trust. In addition, among many emperors and grandchildren, Kangxi especially doted on Li Hong, the son of Yongzheng, which was also a powerful factor in Yongzheng. Although folklore is absurd and untenable, historians have divided their conclusions into two kinds through research: one thinks Yongzheng is a usurper and the other thinks Yongzheng is a normal successor. The usurper believes that Yongzheng carefully planned a usurper's plot before and after Kangxi's death. Infantry commander Long Keduo is Yongzheng's confidant. When Kangxi was in a coma, Yongzheng forged the testamentary edict with the help of Long Keduo, put the prince under house arrest in disguise, fabricated the important plot of Kangxi's testamentary edict, and seized the opportunity to usurp the throne. Because the key to prove Yongzheng's legal succession is whether Kangxi summoned the prince and Long Keduo before his death and dictated his legacy. After a comparative study of historical materials, scholars believe that this key issue has not been made clear before and after Yongzheng's succession, and it was not said until the hostile forces were suppressed, so it is likely to be fabricated. It is also said that two Kangxi wills were found in the secret archives of the Qing palace, one in Chinese and the other in Manchu, indicating that the published will is likely to be false. Therefore, although we can't change "Ten" from "Yu" to "Ten" as the folks say, we can't rule out Yongzheng's attempt to usurp the throne, because there are many flaws in the official records. Scholars of this school believe that Kangxi didn't trust Yin Zhen very much in his later years, but Yunchan was his favorite, and he was entrusted with an important task, especially General Fuyuan. In fact, he has been recognized as his successor, and he was sent to fight in the northwest to establish his prestige. In terms of age, Yin Zhen is also at a disadvantage. Yongzheng was 45 years old when he succeeded to the throne, ten years older than his mother's brother Yunchan, so some people thought that Kangxi could not choose an over-aged prince to succeed to the throne. Many people think that Kangxi liked Yin Zhen's son Li Hong very much, which added weight to Yin Zhen's accession to the throne. Because according to the records in the archives, Kangxi loved the emperor and his grandson very much, especially the son of the abandoned prince Yin Jian and the son of Yun Jian. Besides, the relationship between Yongzheng and Longkeduo and Nian Gengyao is really suspicious. In 2000, "today the emperor will be responsible, and tomorrow the prince will be responsible" is even more conclusive evidence of usurpation. In addition, it is difficult to explain why Yongzheng killed his younger brother after he acceded to the throne. From this, they came to the conclusion that it was because Yongzheng had a ghost in his heart that he didn't follow the custom of "the son was buried with his father". He chose his tomb in Qing Xiling, not in Qing Dongling, where Kang Xiling is located. Succession theorists insist that Yongzheng was hand-picked by Kangxi, so there was a dying act. They believe that it should be true that Kangxi summoned six emperors over 30 years old and Longkeduo before his death, and issued a decree to Yin Zhen, the fourth son of the emperor. On the occasion of Kangxi's dying, Yongzheng was sent to sacrifice to heaven on his behalf. The emperor usually sacrificed to heaven himself, which had special significance. When Kangxi summoned several princes, he ordered Yongzheng to arrive at Kangxi's bedroom from the Temple of Heaven, apparently to hand over the throne to him. In addition, when the prince was still alive, Yongzheng could not have fabricated the fact that Kangxi summoned the prince, otherwise the truth would have been exposed, but so far no archival materials have been found in this regard. Although Kangxi established a prince at the age of twenty-two: Yin Yong, the second son of the emperor, later formed a princeling in the court because of the arrogance and extravagance of the crown prince, which posed a threat to the imperial power. So in the forty-seventh year of Kangxi, Kangxi abolished the prince for the first time. After the abolition of the crown prince, the struggle for the crown prince's position intensified. In order to stop this situation, Kangxi had to re-establish himself as the Crown Prince in the second year. But three years later, due to the threat of princelings, Kangxi abolished the prince again, preferring to choose successors from the emperor's third, fourth and fourteenth sons. During this period, Kangxi said to ministers many times: We must find a "firm trust person", which shows that Kangxi has a clear idea of who will inherit him. Among all the princes, Yongzheng was determined and his ability to govern the country was obvious to all. In the 60th year of Kangxi, Kangxi ordered Yin Zhen to inspect the warehouse of Jingtong, and made it clear that he might not be able to send others. Later, Kangxi appointed Yin Zhen to preside over the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven. It is not difficult to see Kangxi's esteem and trust in Yin Zhen. Kangxi said many times that Yin Zhen was "sincere and filial", which shows that he also appreciated the prince's character very much. In other words, Yongzheng got the throne by "sincerity, filial piety and friendship". In order to seek the throne, Yin Zhen kept a low profile and tried his best. The strategy put forward by his confidant, Dai Duo, is: to be sincere and filial to the emperor's father; to show his talents appropriately. Without talent, a wise father will not look down upon it; Too much exposure will also arouse the suspicion of the emperor's father. Friendly to brothers: generous and tolerant, live in harmony. Everything is gentle and patient: if you can reconcile, you can reconcile, if you can endure, you can endure, so that talented people don't hate you, and those who can't can rely on you. It was in accordance with this strategy that Yongzheng bypassed the shoal reef step by step in the battle for the throne and entered the emperor's throne in a tortuous way. Yin Zhen knew that winning his father's trust and love was the most important thing in his life. He has a purpose, that is, sincere filial piety to the emperor's father. For example, when the princes fought fiercely for the throne, he tried his best to show "sincerity" and "filial piety" to the emperor's father, neither openly competing, but also comforting the emperor's care. After Emperor Kangxi abolished the Prince for the first time, he was seriously ill. When he entered the room, he asked the three doctors, Doctor Tai, and Yun, to learn a little about the properties of the medicine and to test the prescription and medicine for the Emperor Tai-huang. After Emperor Kangxi took the medicine, his condition gradually improved. So Emperor Kangxi ordered the chamberlain Liang Jiugong and others to send a message: "When Wan Yun was imprisoned, no one spoke for him. Only the fourth brother knows the sense of honor and has defended Wan Yun in front of me many times. Only with such heart and behavior can he do great things. " Yin Zhen knew that being good at dealing with the relationship between brothers was the second most important thing in his life. Before he ascended the throne, the main principles for dealing with brotherly relations were "no affiliation" and "no enmity". Brothers make enemies when they form a party. Yin Zhen didn't attend the banquet of the Crown Prince or the banquet of Huangbazi. He showed a sincere filial piety and caring attitude towards the emperor's father, so that he escaped from both the emperor's father and his brother, safe and sound. Yin Zhen tried his best to avoid the contradiction of competing for the crown prince, and tried his best to show that he was not only sincere and filial to the emperor's father, but also friendly to his brothers, and diligent and dedicated. Do your best to do everything assigned by the emperor's father. After 30 years of practical training after marriage, I have a profound understanding and experience of society and life, which prepared the conditions for the calligraphy couplet to ascend to the throne after Yongzheng. Yin Zhen's personality has two characteristics: one is moody, and the other is impatient. Kangxi once criticized him for this. In the forty-first year of Kangxi (1702), Yin Zhen begged the emperor's father to say, "Now I am over thirty years old, please forgive me for putting the word' moody' in the imperial edict and not recording it." Emperor Kangxi agreed, so he made an imperial edict: "You don't have to record this language!" After Yin Zhen succeeded to the throne, he warned himself with the motto "Be patient and be patient". As for why Kangxi didn't choose the fourteenth son of the emperor in the end, people think that if Kangxi really wanted to be his heir, he wouldn't have been sent to such a distant place when he was old and sick. If in 57, Kangxi sent Yunchan to the northwest to direct the war against Junggar, it was to make him make contributions, but in 60, after Kangxi recalled Yunchan, who had made meritorious military service, to report to Beijing, he fell ill the next year, and Kangxi sent him back to the front. Obviously, the throne was not to be passed on to Yunchan. After Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, Yunchan was recalled to Beijing, and Yongzheng put him under house arrest, but this was only a measure that Yongzheng thought Yunchan posed a threat to the imperial power, and it could not be said that Yongzheng was usurping the throne. Kangxi chose Yin Zhen because he liked Yin Zhen's fourth son, Li Hong, which also had some origins. When Kangxi first met Li Hong, Li Hong, who was 12 years old, was extremely intelligent and beautiful, which attracted the favor of Kangxi. Kangxi immediately asked Li Hong to move to the palace and personally instructed him to study. When Kangxi went hunting in the paddock or reading the memorial, Li Hong always served there. This statement is supported by the Monument to the Holy Virtue of Yuling in front of Qianlong Mausoleum in Dongling, Qing Dynasty, which records the great achievements of Qianlong's life and clearly points out that Kang Ximo appointed Qianlong as the third generation emperor to inherit the throne. This is the earliest official statement that clearly shows that Kang decided to inherit the future throne, which indirectly shows that Yongzheng is a normal heir. As for Yongzheng's failure to follow the custom of "the son is buried with his father", it is not convincing as circumstantial evidence of usurpation. Because Shunzhi's father's Zhaoling was in Shenyang, Shunzhi was not buried in Shenyang after his death. Yongzheng's tomb is in Qing Xiling, but his son Gan Long's tomb is in Qing Dongling. Moreover, if Yongzheng was ashamed to see Kangxi usurp the throne after his death, he would not dare to enter the ancestral hall, because the emperor of the Qing Dynasty was enshrined in the ancestral hall. According to the superstition at that time, couldn't Yongzheng still see Kangxi and his ancestors there?