Chapter 239 Live Broadcast from the Sky (19)
The eldest prince left the stage early, the crown prince was deposed, the eighth prince was demoted, and the thirteenth and fourteenth princes were implicated. Let's take a look at the remaining princes. Besides our Prince Yong, Yinzhen, who else can ascend to the throne?
The sixteen characters, "Loving one's brothers and sisters, having many offspring, being diligent in governing and loving the people, and having made outstanding contributions," are the result of an investigation conducted by Emperor Kangxi on behalf of Emperor Yongzheng.
Perhaps it was because Yongzheng was rather quiet except when he was doing official business, or perhaps it was because his dignified and solemn demeanor made him seem too weak and powerless with few followers. It wasn't until Kangxi's health truly failed and he was genuinely preparing to choose a crown prince that he realized just how great Yongzheng's achievements were…
It wasn't just the Kangxi Emperor mentioned by Tianmu, but also the people watching from various timelines, who suddenly realized just how many of Yongzheng's achievements Tianmu had been explaining in his seemingly carefree narration.
He was credited with cleaning up the officialdom, punishing corrupt officials, and saving the emperor's life. Even without all of these, the single act of "using potatoes" would have been enough to make Yongzheng a historically significant emperor.
These were merely achievements made before Yongzheng ascended the throne...
Emperor Shunzhi laughed heartily, patting the head of young Xuan Ye, overjoyed. He thought that his good grandson had fulfilled all his ideals and ambitions: "Hahaha, he truly is my grandson, just like me!"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang rolled her eyes at him: "You're just trying to make yourself look good. You already said at the beginning that it was Xuan Ye who knew how to teach his son."
Of course, while Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang said this, she secretly thought that if Xuan Ye had ascended the throne at the age of eight, it would certainly have been with her support. It wasn't that she was cursing Fu Lin, but if Fu Lin had truly passed away, Xuan Ye would undoubtedly have been raised by her. In other words, wasn't Xuan Ye's son also raised by her?
Therefore, as later emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng proved, it wasn't that she couldn't teach others, but rather that Fulin himself was incompetent!
In fact, the deposed Crown Prince Yinreng played a role in Kangxi's decision to choose Yongzheng. When Kangxi asked Yinreng about his preferred heir, Yinreng directly recommended Yongzheng.
Kangxi would definitely become suspicious, but Yinreng was very frank and said directly that it was because Yongzheng valued relationships. Therefore, only if Yongzheng ascended the throne could he, the deposed crown prince, survive.
Similarly, given Yongzheng's achievements, his father, Kangxi, was able to tolerate him. However, if another brother had ascended the throne, Yongzheng wouldn't have lived much longer.
When Yongzheng ascended the throne, all his brothers could live; but if someone else ascended the throne, Yinreng and Yongzheng would definitely not survive.
This was the reason given by Yinreng, and Kangxi had to admit that what he said was true.
Therefore, considering all factors, Yongzheng was his only choice.
Without bloodshed or any setbacks, Yongzheng became the second crown prince of the Kangxi era.
On the fifth day of the third month of the forty-eighth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, the Kangxi Emperor passed away. His only concern before his death was for his deposed Crown Prince, Yinreng. He may have harbored some fear or dislike towards this son, but even in his final moments, he held Yinreng's hand tightly, reluctant to let go, and entrusted the Yongzheng Emperor to treat him well. He ultimately departed with guilt and regret for his son…
"Father..."
After hearing Tianmu's report of Kangxi's death, Yinreng's eyes reddened as he looked at Kangxi.
Emperor Kangxi was also deeply moved and gently patted his shoulder: "Baocheng..."
The others kept their thoughts to themselves, remaining silent as they watched the two put on a show of fatherly affection. But only the two involved knew how much of that affection was genuine.
Whether Emperor Kangxi intended to use this opportunity to put on a show and salvage his image is unknown to Yinreng. But deep down, Yinreng was genuinely moved, and it was also true that he imitated the deposed crown prince in the TV series "Sky Curtain" by showing weakness.
The fact that Yinreng there could rise from a deposed crown prince to a prince of the first rank doesn't mean he can do the same. If he were deposed, the outcome wouldn't be so pleasant. Yinreng is now increasingly envious of the version of himself in the story.
The first major event worth mentioning after Yongzheng ascended the throne was the exposure of the relationship between the two brothers. Friends, the exciting moment has arrived! Yongzheng's first court assembly after his ascension to the throne gave these two brothers a huge scare!
At this time, in the eyes of outsiders, including the other brothers, who was the eighth prince? He was the rival who had failed to compete with the fourth prince for the throne!
At the first court assembly, no one should be so foolish as to cause trouble at this crucial moment. However, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, stepped forward.
At the time, everyone suspected he was up to no good. The court officials were filled with anxiety, fearing that a blood feud within the royal family might just happen before their eyes.
And guess what Lao Ba said when he stood up?
Indeed, he stepped forward to request that the emperor avoid using the character "胤" in the names of the princes, and petitioned the emperor to follow precedent and change the character "允" in the names of the princes.
Haha, friends, there are many psychological descriptions about this part, not only in the records of the various princes, but also in the writings left by some ministers. There's no way around it, everyone was completely fooled, and they secretly vented their resentment in their writings. Who would have thought that it would be passed down to later generations? You can all go and take a look. I've listed the recommended manuscripts in a table of contents next to it...
Back then, many people thought, "Oh, is this something you should be saying? Did you surrender too quickly? Are you really that flexible?"
Even so, no one has started to doubt the relationship between the fourth and eighth princes. They just think that the eighth prince is trying to "flatter the monarch" in order to do so in the future. Haha, yes, you can go and see. Many ministers used the word "flattery" in their articles, which shows how much resentment they had. They were so bold in their complaints.
The only one who realized what was happening was the Ninth Prince, Yin Tang, who had noticed some clues before but hadn't thought about them deeply.
Before he could even finish being shocked, Yongzheng had someone read out the rewards bestowed upon his brothers.
The eldest prince, Yunzhi, was appointed Prince Zhi and entered the Ministry of War, where he was in charge of training the Eight Banners troops.
The second prince, Yinreng, was appointed Prince Li and entered the Censorate, where he was responsible for supervising all officials.
The third prince, Yunzhi, was made Prince Cheng and entered the Hanlin Academy, where he was responsible for compiling historical records.
The Fifth Prince Yunqi was named Prince Heng, and the Seventh Prince Yunyou was named Prince Chun. They jointly served as the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department.
The Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, was granted the title of Prince Lian, a hereditary title. He was then appointed to the Ministry of Personnel, where he was responsible for evaluating officials.
The Ninth Prince, Yun Tang, was appointed Prince Yu and entered the Ministry of Revenue, where he was ordered to make money.
The tenth prince was granted the title of Prince Dun, and the twelfth prince was granted the title of Prince Lü. They were both placed in the Ministry of Rites, mainly responsible for matters concerning the imperial clan, which was considered a sinecure.
The thirteenth prince, Yunxiang, was appointed Prince Yi and entered the Ministry of Justice to be in charge of case review.
The fourteenth prince, Yunzhen, was promoted to Prince Xun and entered the Ministry of War, where he was in charge of the firearms battalion.
The seventeenth prince, Yunli, was granted the title of Prince Guo, while the other princes were all granted the title of Beile. None of them were of age to attend court, so they were studying in the palace.
The titles and positions of his brothers reveal just how generous, magnanimous, and broad-minded Emperor Yongzheng was, daring to delegate power so early in his reign.
Friends, did you notice the key point? The key point is on Prince Lian, the Eighth Prince, Yunsi. Only he has four extra words: "hereditary without replacement." What does that mean? It means that the Eighth Prince's title of Prince can be inherited by his descendants and will not be changed.
Among so many brothers, he is the only one whose position is "hereditary and unreplaceable," which shows the deep bond between the four brothers.
At this point, even the most oblivious person could see that the relationship between their new emperor and the newly appointed Prince Lian was truly extraordinary! The two brothers had put on a grand show together, and even Emperor Kangxi was unaware of their close private relationship. It could be said that the two brothers had completely manipulated everyone in the court!
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