This news was so unexpected that it caused panic throughout the government and the public!
Fortunately, Emperor Yongzheng had made arrangements for the succession. After the emperor's death, Su Peisheng, in the presence of Prince Zhuang, Ortai, and Zhang Tingyu, took out the imperial edict and read out the decree of succession.
Although everyone had guessed who the crown prince would be, no one dared to be certain until the very last moment. For example, when Emperor Kangxi chose the fourth prince as his heir, the result was truly unexpected.
Only today has the content of Emperor Yongzheng's will been made public. The will clearly states that his fourth son, Hongli, will inherit the throne.
The day before, father and son had met. Hongli remembered it clearly; his father was coughing badly, and Hongli advised him to rest and recover, but he said it was nothing serious.
"It's a minor illness, nothing serious. Every memorial could be of great importance. As the emperor, I must process them as soon as possible so that my subordinates can be properly managed."
This was the last thing the emperor said to Hongli. After hearing this, he took his leave.
Hongli thought it was just an ordinary turn, but he never expected it to be a final farewell!
He used to complain that his father was too strict with him. In his memory, his father rarely smiled and always had a stern face. He was always lecturing him and never cared about his feelings.
When his father forbade him to promote Su Yushan to the position of concubine, he even wondered when he would be able to ascend the throne and make his own decisions.
Now that his father, the Emperor, has suddenly passed away, he has naturally succeeded to the throne and become the next emperor. However, Hongli did not feel the joy he had imagined.
He suddenly felt empty and lost, even regretting that he hadn't cherished the time when his father was alive. Now that his father was gone, he realized how much he missed his strict father.
The sudden death of a loved one must be very painful. Su Yushan had only met Emperor Yongzheng twice and did not know much about him, but from Hongli's account, she could feel that Yongzheng was indeed a good emperor who was diligent in his duties!
He disliked hunting and sightseeing, focusing solely on politics. Though somewhat rigid in character, he dedicated himself to reforming corrupt practices and rectifying the court, inadvertently paving a smooth road for Hongli's future.
He may not have been a good father, but he was a good emperor who dedicated his life to the country!
Knowing that this was an inevitable historical event, Su Yushan still felt a pang of sadness at the moment, lamenting the fragile lives and grieving for Hongli's sudden loss of his father.
Su Yushan didn't know how to comfort him; all her words seemed so pale and powerless. All she could do was hold him and offer him silent comfort.
This small gesture brought comfort to Hongli's bewildered and helpless heart, like a drifting boat finally reaching the shore.
In the days that followed, Hongli was extremely busy. The funeral of the late emperor was very grand, and Hongli had to be present every day to wear mourning clothes and guard the coffin. He could not return to the Prince's Mansion, so he temporarily used the east corridor of the Qianqing Palace as a temporary shelter to mourn his late father.
Consort Xi naturally became Empress Dowager and moved to Yongshou Palace to observe mourning for Emperor Yongzheng.
Yongzheng never loved her, and she had long since let go of her illusions about this man. Therefore, when Yongzheng died, she felt no grief and only pretended to cry. In reality, she was very much looking forward to her son ascending the throne and taking power!
It is understandable that Hongli, as the son, was grieving over the emperor's death. However, a country cannot be without a ruler for a day. As the heir to the throne, Hongli should take charge of the overall situation. The ministers petitioned for Hongli to ascend the throne, and the enthronement ceremony was set for the third day of the ninth month.
On the third day of the ninth lunar month, the sky was clear and blue with white clouds.
Wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a golden dragon crown, Hongli held his enthronement ceremony in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, witnessed by princes and officials.
In front of the magnificent Hall of Supreme Harmony is a long imperial road, and according to etiquette, Emperor Hongli was required to ride in an imperial carriage.
A procession led the way, with eight eunuchs standing on the steps on either side of the imperial road, carrying the emperor's palanquin up the steps from the cloud and dragon relief.
The imperial carriage stopped at the palace gate. Li Yu extended his hand, and Hongli took a hand in return. He then stepped down from the carriage and turned around gracefully.
Looking out, beneath the azure sky and floating clouds, everyone knelt and shouted "Long live the Emperor!" The sense of accomplishment of looking down on all living beings and being above all others was both a source of pride and a heavy weight on his heart!
From this day forward, he will be the emperor, ruling the country and its people, and every decision he makes will affect every subject.
A strong sense of responsibility and mission compelled him to straighten his back and waist, turn around and walk step by step toward the gilded dragon throne in the hall!
It was such a short distance, yet it took him so long, each step heavy and slow.
With a slight lift of his court robes, Hongli turned around and slowly sat down, whereupon the courtiers paid their respects.
At this point, Hongli finally ascended the throne as emperor at the age of twenty-five.
No matter how difficult the road ahead may be, he must face it head-on without fear of hardship, striving not to disappoint his father's expectations and the trust of his subjects!
After he ascended the throne, the Ministry of Rites petitioned to change the reign title, and Hongli personally decided on the reign title Qianlong, which meant that the way of heaven was prosperous!
Hongli meant that since it was currently September, all historical records should still follow the old reign title, and next year should be designated as the first year of the Qianlong reign.
There are many speculations and different opinions about the sudden death of Emperor Yongzheng. After all, Yongzheng had always been in good health, so his sudden death was indeed surprising.
Some busybodies even claimed that someone had assassinated Emperor Yongzheng, but this is utter nonsense. The Yuanmingyuan was heavily guarded, and the assassination theory is unfounded.
The Imperial Medical Academy remained tight-lipped and did not explain the cause of the illness. Some speculated that Emperor Yongzheng died of a stroke, as only such a sudden onset of illness could be fatal.
There are even rumors that Emperor Yongzheng died from severe poisoning caused by long-term consumption of elixirs.
The reason for this rumor is that after the new emperor Hongli ascended the throne, he first issued the first imperial edict of enthronement, and then immediately issued a second edict to expel the Taoist priests Zhang Taixu and Wang Dinggan, who lived in the West Garden, from the palace.
These two Taoist priests were invited by Emperor Yongzheng and lived in the palace for four or five years. After they entered the palace, they began to refine a large number of elixirs.
Many people speculated that it was because Emperor Yongzheng was too busy with state affairs, which weakened his health, and he also longed for immortality, so he invited Taoist priests to refine elixirs.
While short-term use of elixirs may give people the illusion of improved health, long-term use can damage the internal organs and easily lead to sudden death!
Regardless of the speculations among the people, the palace never gave a clear answer. Hongli strictly forbade people to discuss the matter, and this cautious attitude only aroused more suspicion.
After Hongli ascended the throne, the next step was to settle the women in his harem and bring them into the palace.
The Ministry of Rites would first draft the rules regarding rank and accommodation, which would then be reviewed by the Empress Dowager before being decided by the Emperor.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
