Then continue spying on Hongli!
Hongli was much more flamboyant than his father.
His eyes looked at dogs with deep affection, and even the maids in the mansion seemed to have their hearts flutter when they saw him.
Of course, the throne was not yet secured, so he was still cautious in his words and actions!
He was alone in his study, his eyes as cold as ice.
But that's understandable!
Historically, the mourning period for the new emperor to observe for the deceased emperor should theoretically be three years according to the Qing Dynasty's funeral system.
However, in practice, days are often used instead of months for calculation, that is, twenty-seven days instead of twenty-seven months.
Then, both Shunzhi and Kangxi ascended the throne as children, and it was understandable that they used the sun instead of the moon.
Furthermore, at that time, there were rebels outside and powerful ministers inside, so power was not in their hands.
However, Emperor Yongzheng insisted on observing three years of mourning for Emperor Kangxi.
After Emperor Kangxi passed away in the Qianqing Palace, Emperor Yongzheng moved his bedroom to the Yangxin Hall to observe mourning.
This is because the Hall of Mental Cultivation is located to the west of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, which made it convenient for him to observe mourning activities.
During the 20 days that Kangxi's coffin was kept in the Qianqing Palace, Yongzheng insisted on not residing in the inner palace, but instead used the east wing of the Qianqing Palace as his place of mourning. He sat on the ground during the day and slept fully clothed on a straw mat at night.
Furthermore, he refused to remove his mourning clothes as stipulated in Kangxi's will, which required "releasing the mourning clothes on the 27th day," and instead threatened to "go on a hunger strike," insisting on observing three years of mourning.
And they actually did it!
Everyone says that Emperor Yongzheng was cold-hearted and heartless, but he was the only one who truly observed three years of mourning for the late emperor!
It's amazing that, despite the fierce struggle for the throne among the nine princes, not a single one of them thought of patricide.
According to historical records, after the death of Emperor Yongzheng...
After ascending the throne as emperor on the evening of August 22nd of the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign, Qianlong wept bitterly at Yongzheng's funeral upon his passing.
However, in practice, Emperor Qianlong did not observe the three-year mourning period like ordinary people.
He only showed extreme grief at Yongzheng's funeral, and then quickly changed his tune, reprimanding the old ministers left to him by Yongzheng.
Some court officials even felt disgusted by his actions, but with each new emperor came a new court, and it was none of their business to comment on matters of the imperial family.
Putting aside everything else, just comparing Qianlong's filial piety towards his mother shows how much he loathed his father.
Some speculate that he needs to stabilize the political situation in a short period of time to ensure the normal operation of the country.
Therefore, he could not immerse himself in the emotions of mourning for as long as ordinary people.
In fact, during that period, Yongzheng managed the government affairs very well, and the national treasury was full.
How could there have been the chaos when Yongzheng ascended the throne?
After all, at the beginning of Yongzheng's reign, neither the Eighth Prince's faction nor the Fourteenth Prince's faction was willing to accept defeat, otherwise they wouldn't have spread so many rumors.
In addition, at that time, the internal administration was in chaos and the national treasury was empty, while there were also brothers eyeing the country covetously from the outside.
How could a powerful ruler who emerged from the struggle for succession among the nine princes be compared to someone who simply eats meat buns?
The claim that Emperor Qianlong was the number one father who caused his children trouble is not entirely unfounded.
Historically, in the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign (1735), Yongzheng died just over two months later.
Emperor Qianlong then declared the "Dayi Juemi Lu" (Record of Awakening from Delusion), personally written by Emperor Yongzheng, a banned book and ordered its publication to cease.
This book was originally written by Emperor Yongzheng to refute the ten major crimes he was accused of, including patricide, forcing his mother to abdicate, and killing his brothers, which were circulating among the people. However, Emperor Qianlong's action actually confirmed these popular claims, leaving Yongzheng with a bad reputation in history.
After Emperor Qianlong ascended the throne, he changed some of the policies of Emperor Yongzheng's New Deal, such as stopping the land survey and no longer implementing measures to increase taxes through land surveys, stopping the construction of military farms and irrigation systems, abolishing the contract system, and stopping donations. These policies were all conducive to alleviating social conflicts, but they were also a direct negation of Emperor Yongzheng's policies.
Zeng Jing and Zhang Xi were the ones who wrote to Yue Zhongqi, the Governor-General of Sichuan and Shaanxi, urging him to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the Ming dynasty.
Not only did Emperor Yongzheng not kill them, but he also personally wrote "The Great Righteousness Awakens the Delusion" to refute the accusations against them and pardoned them.
However, shortly after ascending the throne, Emperor Qianlong went against Emperor Yongzheng's last wishes and had Zeng Jing and Zhang Xi executed by slow slicing.
Emperor Qianlong carried out a large-scale crackdown and purge of the ministers who had been heavily relied upon during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng.
For example, among the four regents appointed by Emperor Yongzheng on his deathbed, Emperor Qianlong used the art of balancing power to eventually dismiss Yinlu from all his posts. In the fourth year of Qianlong's reign (1739), he implicated Yinlu in the Hongxi rebellion case, causing him to completely lose his political influence.
At the same time, Qianlong also used various means to suppress and dismiss the power and honors of Zhang Tingyu and other important officials of Yongzheng.
Furthermore, during Qianlong's reign, in stark contrast to Yongzheng's diligence and frugality, he was extravagant and wasteful, making six trips to the south of the Yangtze River, incurring huge expenses, and was stubborn, self-willed, and fond of grandiose achievements!
He single-handedly nurtured Heshen, a notorious corrupt official!
They have once again misled their own descendants, even to the point of neglecting advanced Western weapons!
In the end, the country's doors were forced open by a few broken guns, causing tragedy for this land!
Sherry found it increasingly interesting and kept a close eye on Hongli every day.
The new concubines in the harem gradually gained favor.
Surprisingly, the most favored among them was Consort Li.
No, it's Consort Li now.
Li Changzai looked radiant after not seeing her for a few days.
Sherry was completely unaffected; however, she nearly fainted in front of everyone during a morning greeting.
Yes, she learned it, and even prepared to fake vomiting, but it didn't come in handy.
As expected, a pregnancy was detected!
Emperor Yongzheng was very pleased, and Consort Li, who was standing to the side, almost popped her eyes out.
Sherry looked shy and happy, and Yongzheng rarely showed his joy!
"Consort Liu is hereby granted the title of Noble Lady! A sedan chair is bestowed upon her; the pregnant woman has a poor appetite, so a small kitchen is hereby granted!"
Yongzheng looked at Xue Li's belly and gave instructions.
Su Peisheng was much more eager to see Xue Li now.
Not only him, but all the concubines present began to touch their bellies.
After all, among this group of people, Sherry was the first to serve the emperor.
They felt they had a chance too!
Because of Xue Li's pregnancy, Emperor Yongzheng felt that he was in good health and was very proud of himself.
Xue Li lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, but her mind was fixed on Consort Xi's hand tightly gripping the handkerchief.
Suddenly, she relaxed completely.
I guess it's because he thought about how his son is already married.
Besides, the children of the harem.
Even if you get pregnant, you might not be able to give birth, and even if you do give birth, you might not be able to raise the child. And even if you do raise the child, if the child is brainless, it's all for nothing!
Despite the mix of congratulations and sour remarks from everyone, Sherry remained all smiles.
After all, Li Changzai, who was standing next to him, was probably furious at this moment.
"I finally managed to get the upper hand over her, and this poor slut is pregnant?"
"Whose fault is that? You wanted to exchange for beauty, not a child!"
"Can I redeem it now?"
"Please collect favorability points, host. The higher your status, the more items you can exchange for favorability points!"
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