Introduction:
On August 23, the thirteenth year of Yongzheng, Emperor Yongzheng died in the Old Summer Palace after thirteen years of reign. According to tradition, after the death of the emperor, an edict was issued to show his gratitude to his subjects. Yongzheng clearly passed the throne to Hongli in his edict, and named four courtiers, hoping that Hongli could save his fate after succeeding to the throne. These four courtiers were Prince Zhuang Yunlu, Prince Guo Yunli, scholar Zhang Tingyu, and scholar Ertai.
Prince Zhuang's praise and ending
Yunlu, born in the 34th year of Kangxi, did not participate in the struggle for the throne in Kangxi's later years, and Yongzheng evaluated him more objectively. In the last years of Kangxi, Yunlu only served as the head of the internal affairs department and did not get involved in political struggles. Yongzheng passed it on to Prince Zhuang Bo Guoduo, and gave Prince Zhuang a strong family property and gave him a high evaluation:"Prince Zhuang is kind-hearted, peaceful and prudent, and although he is less responsible, he will not make mistakes. ”
However, after Qianlong ascended the throne, Yunlu was dissatisfied with the deposed prince Li Honghui because of his frequent past, and was finally dismissed from his errand and removed from the prince's double salary. Yunlu died in the 32nd year of Qianlong.
Prince Guo's elegance and short life
Yunli, born in the 36th year of Kangxi, is indifferent to fame and fortune, loves calligraphy and poetry, and is a typical scholar-type prince. The Kangxi Dynasty did not perform brilliantly, and after Yongzheng ascended the throne, he was quickly named the king of Guojun, and six years later he was crowned the prince of Guo.
Yongzheng commented in the edict: ".Prince Guo is loyal and upright, has excellent talents, and is a useful talent for the country, but his gas is weak and he is not tolerable. Encourage Hongli, it is not advisable to pay too much labor gifts, so as not to damage his body and lose his talent
However, after Qianlong succeeded to the throne, Yunli died of illness and did not have outstanding political achievements. Qianlong succeeded Prince Zhuang Hongzhan as his heir and inherited the title of Prince Guo.
The honor and fate of Zhang Tingyu and Ortai
Zhang Tingyu, as Yongzheng's cronies and courtiers, was loyal to his duties and was highly praised by Yongzheng. His praise in the edict shows his outstanding contribution to the maintenance of Yongzheng's deeds. Ortai was highly praised by Yongzheng because of his identity as a banner man and his achievements in changing the land and returning to the stream.
However, after Qianlong ascended the throne, Zhang Tingyu and Ortai caused party disputes due to differences of opinion, and the two factions were incompatible. Ortai died in the eighth year of Qianlong, and Qianlong gave him the highest honor, but his family was accidentally implicated, and the tablet was withdrawn from the Xian Liang Temple.
Zhang Tingyu asked for retirement in the thirteenth year of Qianlong, but because Qianlong was dissatisfied and humiliated, his family property was confiscated, and the honor did not change the miserable fate of his later years.
Conclusion:
Emperor Yongzheng's edict depicted the different fates of the four courtiers, but after his successor Qianlong ascended the throne, some of the courtiers did not end well. This history is full of twists and turns, highlighting the complexity of the political struggles of the imperial court.