Upon the ascension of the new emperor, the emperor honored his grandmother, Empress Dowager Renxian, as Grand Empress Dowager and moved to Cining Palace.
Empress Dowager Tong, the mother of the late emperor, was honored as Empress Dowager, with the title of Empress Dowager Zhaoyi Cihe, or simply Empress Dowager Zhaoyi. She resided in Shou Kang Palace.
After honoring his elders, Yinzhen did not forget his brothers.
The eldest brother was ordered by Emperor Kangxi to be confined and not released, so he was not granted a title this time.
The former Crown Prince's second elder brother was already a Prince Li, so Yinzhen bestowed upon him the title of Iron-Cap Prince, a hereditary title.
The third prince was stripped of his title and is now a bald prince. Yinzhen didn't hold it against him for what happened before and restored his original title to Prince Cheng. If he performs well, he can be promoted even further.
The fifth prince was previously a Dorobele, but Yinzhen elevated him to the rank of Prince Heng.
The sixth prince did not have a title before, but because of his young age, his older brother bestowed upon him the title of Prince Yu, and there is still room for him to rise in rank.
After bestowing titles upon his brothers, the late emperor's concubines also needed to be dealt with. According to palace rules, those concubines without children were to be moved to Ning Shou Palace, while those with children were to leave the palace and live in the prince's residence with their sons.
Because Consort Hui's son, Yinzhi, was under house arrest, she was unable to leave the palace.
Consort Rong, along with her son Yinzhi; Consort Yi, along with her son Yinqi; and Consort Jing, along with her son Yinrang, were all allowed to reside in the Prince's residence.
After the late emperor's concubines moved away, the six palaces in the east and west became vacant, so Yinzhen began to bestow titles upon his own wives and concubines.
The primary consort, also the Crown Princess Fucha, was made Empress and resided in Kunning Palace. The secondary consort, Hesheli, was made Consort Mu and resided in Yongshou Palace. The secondary consort, Guarjia, was made Consort Jin and resided in Yikun Palace.
Lady Gege gave birth to the eldest princess and the third prince, and was granted the title of Consort Yu, residing in Zhongcui Palace; Lady Nalan gave birth to the third princess and was granted the title of Consort Chun, residing in Xianfu Palace; Lady Li gave birth to the fifth prince and was granted the title of Consort Xiang, residing in Chuxiu Palace.
The other concubines and maids who had not given birth were granted titles such as Noble Lady, Attendant, and Lady-in-Waiting according to their seniority.
After bestowing titles upon his wives and concubines, Yinzhen issued another decree, appointing Hongzhao, the eldest son born to the Empress, as Crown Prince and granting him residence in the Yuqing Palace of the Eastern Palace.
As for the other sons, because they were still young, those over five years old went to study in the Imperial Study, while those under five years old stayed in their mothers' palaces.
Having been an emperor in his previous life, Yinzhen had the experience to rely on this time, allowing him to avoid many problems and handle the position of emperor with ease and without any panic.
Time flies, and eight years have passed in the blink of an eye.
In October of the eighth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the Crown Prince married his primary consort, Lady Suochuoluo. In March of the following year, Lady Suochuoluo was formally appointed as the Crown Princess.
Hongzhao was the eldest son of the Emperor and Empress. He was intelligent and studious from a young age, and was proficient in both literature and martial arts. He was not only well-versed in the classics of various schools of thought and poetry from all dynasties, but also skilled in Manchu archery and horsemanship.
From becoming the crown prince at the age of eight to marrying at seventeen, he has always done a good job and is a role model among all the princes.
On the sixth day of the fifth month of the tenth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the Crown Princess, née Suochuoluo, gave birth to the Crown Prince's eldest son, the Emperor's eldest grandson, who was named Yongyang.
Yinzhen emerged victorious from the brutal struggle for the throne, and he deeply understood the importance of a successor for the stability of the court.
Therefore, after establishing the crown prince, he not only taught him how to be a ruler, but also arranged the future of his sons, giving them no hope of ascending to the throne.
Hongzhao was capable enough, his younger brothers had no ambition to seize the throne, and his father valued him highly and had no suspicions. He was very secure in his position as crown prince.
The year was the 22nd year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign. At this time, Yinzhen was 47 years old, which was definitely considered old in ancient times.
In his previous life, Yinzhen was the emperor, but the situation he inherited was not good. He worked hard all his life to bring the Qing Dynasty to a good state, but he died of overwork before the age of sixty.
Because of his past life and the ideas Yunyi instilled in him from childhood, Yinzhen decided to abdicate this year and let the Crown Prince ascend the throne.
Hongzhao is already thirty years old. After years of teaching and growth, he now possesses everything an emperor should have. Yinzhen believes that he will be a qualified emperor.
In August of the twenty-second year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the emperor announced his intention to abdicate in favor of the crown prince in court.
The crown prince was shocked and refused to accept. After three rounds of back and forth, seeing that the father was really determined, the crown prince finally agreed.
In September, Crown Prince Hongzhao ascended the throne, honoring his father as the Retired Emperor, his birth mother, Lady Fuca, as the Empress Dowager, and his grandmother, Lady Tong, as the Grand Empress Dowager.
Since the former Empress Dowager Renxian had passed away in the fifteenth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Yunyi moved into the Cining Palace after becoming the Empress Dowager.
When Hongzhao ascended the throne as the new emperor, he did so in the manner of the previous emperor abdicating. To avoid trouble, Yinzhen took his wives and concubines to live in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, leaving the harem to the new emperor's concubines.
Yunyi moved into Cining Palace, but after living in the palace for a long time, she found it quite boring. When she saw her son go to Yuanmingyuan, she followed him and didn't want to stay in the Forbidden City any longer.
The following year, Hongzhao changed the era name to Xu'an, and became Emperor Xu'an.
Under the rule of Emperor Yongzheng, the Qing Dynasty developed rapidly, and the people lived in peace and contentment. However, due to the influence of Yunyi, Yinzhen both understood and feared Western culture.
The Qing Dynasty also embarked on a different path, neither closing itself off from the world nor remaining stagnant, but rather allowing Eastern and Western cultures to blend together and learn from each other's strengths.
Emperor Xu'an was close to Yunyi from a young age, and he was also deeply influenced by his grandmother. Under Hongzhao's rule, the Qing Dynasty flourished, vigorously developed science and technology, and never stopped exchanging with the West.
Watching his son and grandson govern the country, Yunyi saw a new Qing Dynasty emerge before her eyes, a dynasty that was developing, progressing, and full of vitality.
Like planting a seed of hope, Yunyi awaits the day it sprouts.
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