In February of the forty-eighth year of Kangxi (1709), Emperor Kangxi tried to restore Yinren's status as the crown prince, claiming that the charm had been eliminated and the madness had been a**. However, this reason is patently absurd.
Yinren's greed and fornication cannot be simply attributed to the symptoms of madness. He has lost the hearts and minds of the people, and cannot be redeemed by eliminating the "Nightmare".
Before Emperor Kangxi mistakenly intended to restore the crown prince Yinren, someone had already seen through the endless troubles, and this person was Tong Guowei, the uncle of the country. Tong Guowei, as the younger brother of Empress Xiaokangzhang, is 11 years older than Emperor Kangxi, and is a very responsible and loyal minister in history.
His two daughters became the empress and concubine of Emperor Kangxi respectively, and the eldest grandson also married Emperor Kangxi's daughter.
In the early days of the Kangxi Dynasty, Tong Guowei won the hearts of the people because of his impartiality and humility, and was also greatly appreciated by the Kangxi Emperor. He was even made a first-class duke and served as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Parliament.
However, even after he requested retirement on the grounds of illness and was approved by the emperor, his loyalty to the emperor and commitment to the imperial court still made him outstanding in the deposed crown prince incident.
Although the abolition of the crown prince has no direct relationship with him, and he has been retired for more than ten years, he still sees that Emperor Kangxi wants to restore Yinren.
Out of loyalty to the emperor and loyalty to the imperial court, he made a secret fold, suggesting that Emperor Kangxi make a decision as soon as possible, whether the decision is easy to implement or difficult, and should make up his mind as soon as possible to avoid adverse consequences.
His advice reflects his wisdom and deep concern for the country. Although he has left, his loyalty and wisdom are still remembered.
His actions are a testament to the importance of one's loyalty and commitment, one cannot forget one's duty and mission even after retirement.
Tong Guowei subtly expressed his opposition to the reinstatement with thoughtful words. His wording was tactful, but clear, and pointed out that such a move could be difficult to deal with in the future.
His courage and steadfastness won praise both inside and outside the government and the opposition. However, his advice was not taken seriously by Emperor Kangxi, but instead aroused his dissatisfaction. In a tracing incident, Emperor Kangxi believed that Tong Guowei took the lead in putting forward the proposal to protect Yinxi, which led to the courtiers agreeing.
When summoned to Tong Guowei, Emperor Kangxi asked him why he had behaved so actively in the matter. Tong Guowei replied frankly, saying that he was concerned about the emperor's health and hoped that he would be able to ** as soon as possible.
However, his answer did not dispel Emperor Kangxi's doubts.
Emperor Kangxi decided to restore Yinren's status as the crown prince, but his attachment to Tong Guowei remained unchanged. In public in February, Emperor Kangxi again harshly accused Tong Guowei of "talking nonsense and disturbing people's hearts."
Then, he removed Tong Guowei's eldest grandson, Shun'an, from his position. On the same matter, Li Guangdi made suggestions while supporting Emperor Kangxi. And Tong Guowei, although he may offend people, he is resolutely opposed to the restoration of Yinren.
Tong Guowei's ideas reflected the wishes of the majority of Manchurian ministers, and played a role in the ministers' in-service meetings. However, this does not mean that he was the organizer, and there is no clear evidence that he recommended Yinxi as the crown prince.
The different attitudes and actions of Tong Guowei and Li Guangdi, one a retired Manchurian nobleman and the other a Han scholar, reflect the different positions and expressions of the Manchurian and Han ministers on the question of national capital.
This is mainly due to the differences in their ethnic affiliation, relationship with Emperor Kangxi, and their roles and status in the imperial court, but it also reflects the differences in their character and heart.
After the Second Abolition of the Crown Prince, Tong Guowei's foresight was confirmed, but he was never able to obtain the forgiveness of the Kangxi Emperor, even if he asked for his descendants to inherit the first-class duke, the Kangxi Emperor did not approve it.