In the long history of the Qing Dynasty, there was a highly praised prince, who was respected as a virtuous king for his loyalty to the country, and was named the "iron hat king", however, the life of this virtuous king has carried too many twists and turns and twists and turns of fate. Aixinjue Luo Yinxiang, his name has been recorded in history, but the story behind him is little known.
This article will take readers through time to delve into the life of this virtuous king, revealing his cunning and choices in the struggle for power. What does Yongzheng say about him? In this era of dynastic change, how did the life of King Xian affect the historical direction of the entire Qing Dynasty? Let's unlock the secrets of history together and uncover the historical chapter of the royal light and shadow behind Aixin Jueluo Yinxiang.
Yinxiang was born in the thirtieth year of Kangxi and was the thirteenth son born to Emperor Kangxi and the palace maid Zhang Jia. At that time, the Zhang family was just an ordinary palace maid, and after giving birth to the prince, she was only named a concubine, and she did not have too much merit. However, if there is a son, there must be a mother, Yinxiang has been favored by Kangxi since he was a child, and his talent and character make his father feel very pleased, and he will be by his side when he goes out.
On the surface, he seems to be indifferent to fame and fortune and does not deliberately curry favor with the powerful, but in fact, he has been immersed in the atmosphere of the red-walled deep courtyard and the court since he was a child. This makes Yinxiang well-informed and able to deal with complex situations like an arm. In the sixty-first year of Kangxi, at the critical moment of Kangxi's death, Long Keduo read out the edict, and the crown prince and the four kings fought fiercely over the succession to the throne.
At this time, the political situation in the capital was turbulent, the forces of all parties were intertwined, and the Eight Kings faction was powerful and eyeing each other. In the end, it was after Yinxiang took over the heavy troops of Fengtai and stabilized the situation that the four kings Yongzheng were able to successfully ascend the throne as emperor.
It can be seen that Yinxiang played an irreplaceable role at the critical moment when the four kings ascended the throne. In fact, he had a very close personal relationship with the four kings, and throughout the process of the four kings' succession, he not only gave military support, but also provided important advice on planning and strategy. Of course, Yongzheng is well aware of Yinxiang's thoughts and deeds, and he must not be slackened at the beginning of his ascension to the throne, and must be praised heavily.
In September of the 61st year of Kangxi, Emperor Yongzheng officially crowned Yinxiang as Prince Yi. Not only that, Prince Yi is also a hereditary iron hat king, with a respected status, one person under ten thousand people. This is an unprecedented arrangement in the entire Qing Dynasty knighthood system.
What's even more shocking is that Yinxiang has always been low-key during the Kangxi period, and as a prince of the clan, he has never received any official title, but is just an idle prince at home. Unexpectedly, overnight, at the beginning of Yongzheng's ascension to the throne, he received such a lofty title, which was the new emperor's unique favor and extreme praise for this great hero.
After the solemn canonization ceremony, Emperor Yongzheng also personally rewarded Yinxiang with 230,000 taels of silver. This huge amount has far exceeded the standard for the canonization of the Iron Hat Prince. Yinxiang himself was humble and introverted, and refused to give such a generous gift many times, but Yongzheng insisted on giving, and finally Yinxiang had to accept 130,000 taels.
These 130,000 taels were enough for him to squander them in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. It can also be seen from this that this is no longer an ordinary grace that can be described. In addition, Emperor Yongzheng also decreed that Yinxiang's biological mother Zhang was posthumously crowned as the imperial concubine, and at the same time allowed her to be buried with Kangxi in Jingling, and she would be with her for eternity.
Zhang's family was originally an ordinary palace maid, but after giving birth to a child, she only sealed an ordinary concubine, but she didn't expect to be promoted to the imperial concubine a hundred years later, and she slept in the same cave with the Holy Ancestor. It's a dream come true. Yongzheng took such an earnest care, which made Yinxiang's biological mother rise to the peak, and also fully demonstrated his weight and status in the heart of the new emperor. All kinds of extraordinary measures have shown that Yinxiang plays a pivotal role in Yongzheng's heart.
The ceremony of canonizing the prince was grand enough, but the grace to Yinxiang did not stop there. In the following eight years, he still continued to receive great favor from Yongzheng. For example, on the issue of the reform of the vowel character of the emperor's name, Yongzheng asked the princes of Kangxi to change the word "Yin" in their names to the word "Yun", so as to highlight the difference between the old and new generations.
All the princes obeyed and changed their names, and Yinxiang became the only exception. He successively used the new name "Yunxiang", and later Yongzheng specially allowed him to rename "Yinxiang", and continued to use this name that was used in the Kangxi period. Retaining his original name is a sign that he is different from other members of the royal family.
Also, Yongzheng specially named his fourth son Ning Jing as the king of Ningjun among the sons of Yinxiang, and was promoted to the level of county king other than the prince. And he also specially sealed 10,000 taels of silver, which was unheard of among the princes of previous dynasties. Yinxiang himself was modest and courteous, and refused to be so kind many times, but Yongzheng insisted on giving it, and only then did he fulfill the title of King Ningjun.
Finally, Yinxiang also gained the authority to command a Praetorian Guard-like army, which could establish the Prince's Mansion Army. This kind of armed force similar to the "** army" is controlled by a prince privately, and only the emperor has this power in the previous dynasty. Yongzheng's trust in entrustment is undoubtedly unprecedented.
The privileges are jaw-dropping. Yongzheng treats Yinxiang like a right-hand man, almost a cronie. This has gone beyond the ordinary hard work of monarchs and ministers, and is more like brotherhood and friendship.
Why does Yongzheng trust and pet Yinxiang so much? Here we need to start with Yinxiang's personal qualities and deeds. This thirteen princes were born without much scheming, and his personality is indifferent.
He is indifferent to fame and fortune, never deliberately clings to the powerful, and has no ambition to seek real power. Such a person, placed in the turbulent and changing palace politics, has become the most needed assistant of Yongzheng's left and right arms after he ascended the throne.
Yongzheng has just ascended the throne, and the entire political situation is not stable, and all forces are eyeing each other. At this time, what he needs most is a confidant assistant who is absolutely politically loyal, efficient, and able to stabilize the hearts of the people. So, he set his sights on Yinxiang.
Sure enough, in the next eight years, Yinxiang worked diligently in the court, went deep into the people to sympathize with the predicament, made great achievements, and was also deeply loved by the people. These achievements made Yongzheng look at them. Yinxiang has indeed fulfilled his duty as a confidant, and he is even more loyal to Yongzheng, strictly guarding proportions, never exceeding the rules, and ensuring the stability and unity of the court.
It can be said that Yongzheng has a unique vision and has found such a virtuous person to assist him. So he trusted Yinxiang very much, and he asked for advice on political affairs, and his words and demeanors added some intimate meaning to show his love and pampering. With such trust and grace, Yinxiang was able to display his ambitions, give full play to his talents and abilities, and help the monarch govern the world.
However, the good times did not last long, and Yinxiang died of serious illness in the eighth year of Yongzheng at the age of 45. When the new emperor heard the news, he was distressed and mourned for it. As Yongzheng sighed and said: "I have lost my ministers, and the society has lost its material!" It can be seen that Yinxiang's death is tantamount to a heavy blow to Emperor Yongzheng.
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Through the above combing, we can clearly see that Yinxiang is indeed a model prince with both ability and political integrity. He was indifferent to fame and fortune, loyal to the monarch and patriotic, upright, diligent in government and loving the people, open-minded and progressive, and could be described as a virtuous minister of the generation at that time.
And it is reasonable for Emperor Yongzheng to treat him so favorably. Those special favors and favors in the past eight years are a sincere portrayal of the friendship between the two transcendent monarchs and ministers. There is no one in the court who is the right among the ministers.
Although Yinxiang died young, his lofty spirit of serving the country with loyalty is still worthy of learning and carrying forward by our descendants. We should all give full play to our talents and serve the country loyally in our respective positions, so as to live up to the painstaking cultivation of Mr. Yinxiang and the grace of Emperor Kangxi.