Chapter 233 Live Broadcast from the Sky (13)
Others might have sensed the guilt of Crown Prince Yinreng in that timeline from the narration of the celestial canopy. But Yinreng himself was somewhat stunned. If he hadn't truly had a good relationship with Yongzheng, and hadn't genuinely cared about Yongzheng, it would have been impossible for him to feel guilty, given his own nature.
Guilt was an utterly incomprehensible emotion for someone born the crown prince. It seems that the Yongzheng Emperor of that world and the Yinreng Emperor of that world truly got along well; their relationship evolved from obvious antagonism to the point where the Yinreng Emperor found a good brother and a good ruler…
If, if he could become that Yinreng, perhaps he would be different...
All of this begins with the death of Songgotu, a point of considerable debate in later generations. Some say it was Emperor Kangxi who gave the order, while others say Songgotu used his own death to finally pressure the Crown Prince.
In short, whatever the reason, Suo'etu died a very undignified death; he starved to death.
The crown prince's personality changed drastically after his death.
Before he targeted Yongzheng, a major event occurred: the death of Prince Yu, Fuquan. Before his death, Prince Yu recommended the Eighth Prince, Yinzhi, to Emperor Kangxi, saying that his nephew was "virtuous and capable."
This assessment, made right after Songgotu's death, certainly caused quite a stir. Rumors even circulated that the Crown Prince was behaving irrationally and disrespectfully towards his elders. Kangxi did not step in to stop it, which made the Crown Prince seem somewhat "isolated and helpless."
It was under these circumstances that Crown Prince Yinreng encountered Emperor Yongzheng, who was coming to the palace to pay his respects. In front of the Qianqing Palace, in front of a large crowd, Yinreng kicked Yongzheng down the steps. According to records, Yinreng completely disregarded the gazes of others and stood there staring intently at the fallen Yongzheng, showing no remorse whatsoever.
It's clear that at this point, the Crown Prince's mindset had become somewhat deranged. If you open Prince Li's notes, you can clearly see that he frankly wrote down his resentment at the time, resenting why Yongzheng had to come back alive.
This is actually a bit subtle, though it's quite direct. Think about it: was Yinreng really resentful of the returned crown prince? Having fallen to this point, didn't he regret at all not accepting the people's wish to ascend the throne? Was he truly resentful of the Yongzheng Emperor before him, or of the Yongzheng Emperor who had saved Kangxi?
Gazing at the long staircase in front of the Qianqing Palace, everyone couldn't help but sigh. Indeed, no matter the world, the Crown Prince remained as arrogant and domineering as ever.
Yinzhen couldn't help but shudder. He couldn't understand it. The characters in the two timelines were pretty much the same in the early stages, so how could his own personality have changed so much? How could someone as petty as him still rely on Yinreng after ascending the throne following such an ordeal?
Many people cannot understand why Emperor Yongzheng was so tolerant. Some even call him a "saintly father." In fact, even Prince Li was puzzled, especially after learning about Yongzheng's health condition. He bluntly asked him if he didn't hate him.
This passage is also recorded in Prince Li's notes. You can read it in conjunction with the relevant excerpts in Prince Lian's "The Secret History of Yongzheng". Yongzheng's personal charisma is truly displayed to the fullest.
Honestly, looking back over two thousand years of history, I've rarely seen an emperor like Yongzheng who possessed so many virtues. He excelled in both civil and military affairs, was not greedy for power, had no suspicions, appointed people based on their abilities, and was devoted to the public good. Apart from occasionally being a little lazy, he had almost no personal desires; he was so perfect that he didn't seem like an emperor at all.
Therefore, many critics of the Yongzheng Emperor believe he was a sage emperor fabricated by history. But in my opinion, Yongzheng was actually a very insightful person. Because of this insight, he could see through many things and easily control many things, to the point that he appeared to be a saint without desires.
But he wasn't a saint without any scheming. How could he have become emperor and won over so many brothers without scheming, making everyone think about him?
However, his scheming was both self-serving and altruistic, subtle yet aboveboard. This is not contradictory at all; one only needs to look at his ascension to the throne, his governance of the court, and his paving the way for Honghui to see this.
Regarding the incident of Yinreng kicking him, how did he respond? He frankly stated that he felt resentment but not hatred at the time. Yinreng's kick changed his perspective on the succession struggle, shifting him from a passive to an active stance. And after becoming emperor, he readily accepted the negative impacts of this process.
He also said that even just considering Yinreng's abilities in both civil administration and military affairs, he could overlook past grievances.
Isn't that a perfectly qualified answer full of imperial ideology? Or the kind of emperor who has no selfish motives for the sake of the country and its people.
While comforting Yinreng with his words, Yongzheng also fully demonstrated his magnanimity and demeanor. So, do you think Yongzheng used any cunning in this?
Actually, he did use it, because he said to Yinreng at the end, "If you really can't figure it out, then take good care of Honghui for me in the future."
This was a time when all the brothers knew that Yongzheng had health problems, but their understanding was not deep. It was obvious that Yongzheng was paving the way for Honghui. Do you think Yinreng realized this?
Yinreng couldn't possibly have missed it, but Yongzheng was playing a more subtle game. He directly said, "You feel guilty, right? If you feel guilty, then you should properly assist Honghui and prevent a chaotic world where the ruler is weak and the ministers are strong."
Yinreng agreed, promising Yongzheng he would protect Honghui and assist him in becoming a good emperor. He then truly dedicated the rest of his life to fulfilling this promise.
I don't know why, but after hearing this assessment of Yongzheng from Tianmu, both Yinreng and the other princes and ministers felt a sense of melancholy and couldn't help but let their minds wander. If they had encountered such a ruler, such a brother, would they... would they have fared better?
While Kangxi was marveling at Yongzheng's merits as a good emperor, he was completely unaware that his son and ministers were wavering, and his imperial authority was diminishing in the eyes of others.
[Continuing from the previous text, after the Crown Prince went mad, he really attacked indiscriminately. At this time, the most fierce rival of the Crown Prince's party was the Eighth Prince's party, which had absorbed members of the First Prince's party. The two factions were fighting each other and neither was willing to give way.]
Kangxi probably also felt that a triangle was more stable, so in order to achieve balance, he created a "three-legged stand". Kangxi deliberately favored the birth mother of the seventeenth prince, Yinli, and directly promoted her to the rank of Consort Shu. He elevated his youngest son to a high position, appointed important officials to teach him, and single-handedly created a "Seventeenth Prince Party".
This also reveals Kangxi's affection for Yongzheng. Logically speaking, just as Yongzheng initially judged, the fourth prince, who had severed ties with the crown prince, would have been the most suitable second whetstone. However, perhaps due to the shipwreck incident, Kangxi developed a more paternal heart towards Yongzheng, even though he knew the factional struggles were a trap. Therefore, he preferred to promote his younger son rather than involve Yongzheng.
But the Crown Prince was unhappy. The more Kangxi openly disregarded Yongzheng but secretly protected him, the more he targeted Yinzhen. He even went so far as to target Yongzheng's thirteenth and fourteenth brothers, who were outwardly the most favored by Yongzheng at the time.
Helpless, to avoid being targeted by the crown prince, Yongzheng withdrew from the court. Thus, the "Number One Idle Man in the World," who would later leave a significant mark on history, officially made his debut!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
