On the sixth night of the first month of the eighteenth year of Shunzhi (1661), the atmosphere of the New Year was filled with the streets and alleys, which was supposed to be a night when the lights were dim, but the Forbidden City was silent, and the Spring Festival couplets and lanterns had already been quietly taken off.
Under the solemn faces of the eunuchs and palace maids, even the busy steps became soft and gentle. In the Palace of Nourishing the Heart, Emperor Shunzhi was suffering from smallpox and was terminally ill. He was once the king of a country, but now he is too fragile to step on an ant.
He felt like he was coming to the end of his life, and a great force was pulling away from his soul. Although the main hall was brightly lit, his candles were about to burn out.
At the time of the third watch, the bachelors Wang Xi and Ma Leji were edicted to enter the palace. Shunzhi raised his eyelids with difficulty, told them that he had contracted smallpox and that his days were numbered, and asked them to listen to his last words in detail, and to draft an edict as soon as possible to arrange the aftermath.
Wang Xi began to write with tears in his eyes, but when he saw Shunzhi's weakness, he asked the emperor to look at it after it was drafted. The two eventually completed the draft at dawn and went through three revisions by Shunji.
However, Shunzhi probably did not expect that his edict would eventually be revised. And the person who revised his edict was his biological mother Xiaozhuang. At that time, Shunzhi had a total of eight sons, of which the eldest son Niu Niu and the fourth son Tianzhi died early, and the remaining had the second son Fuquan, the third son Xuanye, the fifth son Chang Ying, the sixth son Qizhi, the seventh son Longxi, and the eighth son Yonggan.
Although Shunzhi ordered Xuan Ye to succeed him when he died, this was just his helpless choice. And Xuan Ye was able to become the Emperor of Kangxi, which was completely accidental. Major turning points in history often occur by inadvertent accident.
Power is a double-edged sword, it brings not only glory and power, but also a heavy psychological and physical burden. Xuan Ye, a former smallpox patient, grew up under such pressure.
After Shunzhi succeeded to the throne, the heavy responsibility of the empire fell on his shoulders. Dolgon's eight years of regency put him under tremendous psychological pressure, forming a sensitive, fragile, and stubborn personality.
After the pro-government, he thought that he could freely release his mind, but he did not expect the existence of Xiaozhuang, like a tight spell, to restrain his freedom. Xiaozhuang was the backbone of the Qing Dynasty, and she joined forces with the ministers of the two Yellow Banners to put Shunzhi on the throne.
However, the presence of the regent Dolgon made the relationship between Shunzhi and Xiaozhuang and the ministers of the two yellow flags delicate. Shunzhi and Xiaozhuang represented the enlightened and conservative factions of the Manchus, respectively, and the conflict between the two factions eventually turned into a struggle for supreme power necessary to pursue their own policies.
The ideal heir to the throne in Shunzhi's heart was burned in the political war. His two queens were arranged by the queen mother, but in Xiaozhuang's view, marriage is not only about succession, but more importantly, it is conducive to rule.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, the Mongol woman's choice for empress, ostensibly to stabilize the rear of the empire, but in reality concealed her deliberate intentions. She hopes that the future emperor will have more genes from the Mongolian steppe to maintain her family's power.
In this process, Xiaozhuang's nephew Wu Kequn was also involved. However, the young Emperor Shunzhi could not stand this kind of political marriage, he felt that his power was limited at every turn, and even the things in bed were dictated, and his heart was full of resentment.
So, he chose to vent his dissatisfaction with the queen, proposed separation, and demoted her to Concubine Jing on the grounds of the queen's "natural jealousy". Even if the second queen was established, Shunzhi gradually distanced himself on the grounds of "lack of talent", and forbade the queen to go to the Xiaozhuang Palace to ask for peace.
If it weren't for Xiaozhuang's resolute opposition, Shunzhi might even depose the queen. Political pressure and frustration often bring psychological gloom and depression, while women's gentleness and charm can be a valve to relieve stress and relief.
This is why many politicians in history have fallen under women's pomegranate skirts. In Shunzhi's life, Concubine Dong E is his pomegranate skirt. He praised Concubine Dong E for being "brilliant and wise", "having the degree of motherly etiquette", and "having no gorgeous clothes", which is simply his own goddess.
He gave Concubine Dong E a thousand favors and was ready to make her the queen. Although this idea was blocked, Concubine Dong E became the de facto director of the harem. Shunzhi doted on Concubine Dong E, not because of the pursuit of freedom of love, but because of his rebellion and counterattack against Xiaozhuang's interference.
Therefore, Xiaozhuang chose a Mongolian woman as the empress, not only to stabilize the rear of the empire, but also to maintain his family power. And Shunzhi's favor for Concubine Dong E is also his rebellion against Xiaozhuang's interference.
Shunzhi didn't want Xuan Ye to inherit the throne from the beginning, he had his own ideas. That was after Concubine Dong E gave birth to a boy, and he called this son "my first son" and was extremely partial to this fourth son.
However, due to the early death of his fourth son and the death of Concubine Dong E, Shunzhi wanted to become a monk in pain. Weakened, he contracted smallpox, and at that time he began to consider whether to abdicate in favor of Yue Le, Prince An, because they had similar political ideas and Yue Le was extremely experienced.
However, this thought was only fleeting, as it was impossible for Hyozhuang to let the imperial power out of her grasp. When Shunzhi was critically ill, he had to choose ** among his young sons such as Qizhi, Longxi, and Yonggan.
Among them, Xuan Ye was the only child who had smallpox, and Tang Ruowang, as the supervisor of Qintian, was also a person he trusted very much. John Tang suggested that Xuanye be appointed emperor, on the grounds that his physical condition was relatively good.
In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, smallpox was a deadly disease that caused many young children to die. Soon after Xuan Ye was born, he was taken by his nanny to a temple in western Beijing for vaccination.
However, this prevention method did not work, and Xuan Ye still contracted smallpox. Although he was lucky to survive, he was left with pockmarks on his face. Xuan Ye's smallpox experience laid the foundation for him to become the best candidate to inherit the throne in the future.
Although Xuan Ye experienced a lot of loneliness in his childhood, Xiaozhuang gave him infinite love. When Xuanye's mother Tong Jiashi was pregnant, there were some anomalous signs, and Xiaozhuang said after hearing that this child "will be blessed".
As soon as Xuan Ye could speak, Xiaozhuang began to demand him with the standards of the emperor, and also sent his personal maid Su Malagu to teach him Manchu and etiquette. Xiaozhuang's cultivation of Xuan Ye was not intentional, she did not intend to make Xuan Ye **, and her love for her grandson was more out of nature.
Shunzhi's edict established Xuanye as the crown prince, and stipulated that "after serving for 27 days, the emperor will be released from the throne". Although the four auxiliary ministers were jointly selected by Shunzhi and Xiaozhuang, the arrangement of Sony, Suke Saha, Kubilong, and Aobai auxiliary ministers does not mean that this is Shunzhi's own wish.
The ruthless criticism and review of the government and personal behavior in the edict was revised by Xiaozhuang and issued in the name of Shunzhi, with the aim of "improving" the current state policy.
In addition to the "guilty self" part, the four ministers should not be the original intention of Shunzhi. In the middle and late period of the dynasty, Shunzhi and the empress dowager had a tense political relationship, and the ministers of the two yellow flags, such as Sony, Kubilong, and Aobai, were not only cronies cultivated and promoted by Xiaozhuang, but also responsible for the monitoring and communication of Shunzhi.
On the first day of June in the thirteenth year of Shunzhi (1656), Xiaozhuang ordained a concubine for the emperor, which should be announced directly to Shunzhi by herself, but it was conveyed by Sony, Kubilong, and Aobai, the meaning of which was deeply hidden.
Shunzhi hated these ministers to the core, how could he put them by his side? Xiaozhuang did not foresee that the changes in her edict planted a time bomb for the new emperor who was about to ascend the throne.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the imperial court officially announced the edict, and Xuan Ye, who was only eight years old, became the new ruler of the country. In order to assist him in handling government affairs, Sonny, Sukh Saha, Suppilon and Ao Bai were appointed as auxiliary ministers.
However, when the nobles of the clan heard the news, they couldn't believe their ears. Sony, Sukh Saha, Suppilon and Aobai, although in high positions, are nothing more than the dogs of the gatekeeper.
Shunzhi's edict not only promoted them to profit-sharing people, but also gave them the right to operate. In this huge Qing Empire enterprise, the descendants of Taizu are the real shareholders, how can it be the turn of the wage earners to share the dividends?
Since the young lord could not handle the government affairs himself, the kings and Baylor all wanted a piece of the pie, but what awaited them was an outcome that stood by and watched. Sonny, Sukh Saha, Suppilon and Ao Bai were also surprised.
Since ancient times, successive dynasties have adhered to the ruling concept of the unity of the family and the country, the monarch is the patriarch, the patriarch is the monarch, and only the family members are qualified to taste the feast of royal power.
They thought that they would be very satisfied to be able to enjoy the warmth of power under the protection of the Queen Mother, and never thought that one day they would be able to touch the authority of the Son of Heaven with their own hands.
However, in addition to the excitement, a chill swept over my heart. Immersed in officialdom for many years, Sony and others will not fail to understand the stakes. Throughout the ages, have there been fewer courtiers who have been killed because of suspicion?
Power is a double-edged sword, and if you haven't reaped Huang Cancan's crops, you have cut off your own head. The nobles of the clan showed a fierce light in their eyes one by one, could they allow themselves to get involved in the imperial power?
The edict is very clear, whoever dares to intervene, the four ministers, please do not be humble. That's exactly what Sony and the others wanted. Seeing that no one raised objections, they immediately reported the situation to Hyozhuang in detail.
Xiaozhuang smiled and said nothing, the empire ** is the only one she respects. Sonny and others are nothing more than her tools, and their performances are also her rehearsals. Although the applause was sparse, the show went smoothly, and this is the success of Xiaozhuang.
She immediately summoned the nobles of the clan and the ministers of civil and military affairs, and ordered them to work together to assist the young master. The four auxiliary ministers and the ministers of civil and military affairs swore an oath in front of Shunzhi Ling, saying that they would not be personal relatives, regardless of grudges, would not form party members, would not bribe, would be loyal, live and die together, and strive to assist Xuanye.
In the power structure of the Qing Empire, Kangxi was the chairman and the auxiliary ministers were the managers. Kangxi holds the ownership, and the management right belongs to the auxiliary ministers. After Kangxi came into power, he grabbed both powers, and both hands were hard.
Sony, Suke Saha, Suppilon, and Aobai, as members of the management team, were hired to serve Kangxi. They come from different interest groups, check each other, and maintain a balance, so as not to oppose the monarchy and affect the monarchy.
However, Xiaozhuang's beautiful vision did not come true, and the four auxiliary ministers soon broke their oath. They exercised imperial power on behalf of the emperor and ordered the ministries and localities to implement policies and decrees in the name of "auxiliary ministers".
The first ministry and the local report of the recital, after the discussion and decision of the four auxiliary ministers, will be played Kangxi circle reading. Kangxi was just a child, who seemed to understand political affairs and became a rubber stamp, while the four auxiliary ministers became the de facto emperor.
Unbridled power is like a psychological catalyst that brings with it responsibilities and obligations, but it also accelerates the expansion and alienation of desires.
In ancient times, the power of the emperor was usually managed by auxiliary ministers. At first, the retainers would be grateful to Dade and work diligently, but over time, they might think for themselves and no longer follow the emperor's orders.
Historically, during the Shunzhi period, the professionalization and clerical work of the first class were implemented, the internal affairs office was abolished, and the thirteen yamen were established. However, after Sony, Suke Saha, Kubilong, and Aobai Auxiliary Politics, in order to monopolize power, they overthrew the political innovation of Shunzhi, re-established the Internal Affairs Office and the Inner Three Yuan, and implemented the order of the Manchu and Han ** grades.
This can also happen when modern leaders take on new jobs or units, and newcomers can be sidelined and sidelined by vested interests and those with ulterior motives, and mishandling can lead to a loss of power.
In such a situation, young leaders may feel helpless and can only watch others have exclusive power. However, once in power, they may be lazy to go to court and use their personal mansions as office space, resulting in a large number of court members, while they are forgotten by their subjects.
Xiaozhuang's wish is disappointed, and the inevitable reality is in front of him.