He used silence and tears to make his father choose him to be emperor. Do we really understand what qualifications and qualities an heir to a monarch should have? Does he have to be ambitious and incoherent to express his political ambitions? Or should we be silent and move people's hearts with heartfelt expressions of true feelings? Emperor Xianfeng, who eventually ascended the throne and became the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, gave us the answer.
Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty succeeded to the throne in the thirtieth year of Daoguang (1850), and his accession to the throne was indeed full of drama. He is not a brilliant and sharp-thinking prince as most people suspect. In front of his brother Yihe, he seemed silent.
However, in the end, Emperor Daoguang chose him. In that historic secret meeting, Yihe's ambitions contrasted sharply with Yiyan's silent tears. On the surface, the latter is inferior, but in the end he moved his father who cherished the world.
This seems to be contrary to our common sense, but it expresses a kind of eternal father-son relationship - when facing life and death, when relatives are farewell, talent and ambition are insignificant, and only sincerity can touch people's souls.
Back then, Emperor Daoguang was wise and martial, but he could not escape the fate of the emperor's end. In the last years of the Daoguang Dynasty, his dragon body was weakening, and the question of his heir was put on hold. The Empress Dowager Cixi was also secretly observing the talents of the princes in the court, and wanted to carry out a plan to stabilize the country.
However, Emperor Daoguang was by no means easy to deceive, and on the sickbed, he personally summoned the two most qualified princes. This is tantamount to a final assessment of them, to see who can take a long-term view of the overall situation, and who can be sympathetic to their father's life and reminisce about the past.
At that time, the rules of the Qing court were strict, and it was extremely cumbersome for the prince to meet the emperor in person. Yihe and Yiyan sat in the outer palace for a long time before they were able to enter to meet Daoguang's father. For a while, the people in the forbidden area were panicked, and they all talked about this contest of royal heirs.
Yihe, who arrived first, was smart and wise, and he was deeply valued by the emperor. He has been happy and ambitious since he was a child. As soon as he stepped into the palace gate, he strode in, without the slightest fear. He bowed his head again in front of the dragon couch, and said in his mouth: "The father and the emperor are not safe in the dragon's body, and the ministers are very worried." The Qing Dynasty is a society and a family, and I also hope that my father will be Mingjian. Emperor Daoguang's expression was uncertain, and he bowed his head slightly, signaling him to continue.
Yi He took out the prepared recital from his sleeve, which recorded in detail his various plans and ideas for major national events. He first talked about the rectification of the border military and government, and his words were sonorous and powerful; Then when it comes to internal affairs and people's livelihood, the plans are clearly organized. He was well-versed and explained, which made people's eyes suddenly brighten. He threatened to make the Qing Dynasty more powerful than the prosperous era, strong in both civil and military, and the best in all directions.
Daoguang was quite relieved after hearing this, and saw that this son should really have the world and lofty ambitions, so he praised softly: "Son, I am very pleased, your ambition is not bad. I hope that you will ascend to the throne in the future, so that my Qing Dynasty will continue to be prosperous and strong. Yi bowed to the ground, and his tone was slightly proud: "Obey the teachings, and the ministers should do their best to live up to expectations." He thought to himself, this performance must be a sure victory, and the throne belongs to me.
Yiyan moved the world and shed tears Unlike his high-sounding brother, Yiyan is weak and elegant. When he reached the corner of the palace gate, he suddenly saw an injured butterfly unable to fly, and gently stroked its broken wings. Yiyan's heart was soft, and he couldn't bear it to be lonely. He sewed a small butterfly house in the corner of the palace wall, decorated with honey water that he had prepared with his own hands.
If you can't walk, just rest here. Wait for you, let's go to *** to see those flowers together. Yiyan whispered softly and turned to see his father. He didn't talk about his plans like his brother, but knelt silently in front of the bed. Daoguang opened his sleepy eyes and was slightly startled when he saw that it was this gentle son. After a long time, Yiyan looked up at his father, his eyes full of love and heartache.
He remembered the bits and pieces of playing with his father when he was a child, and remembered that his father and the emperor were competent assistants to hundreds of military officials, and they were successful in governing the world. For a while, thousands of emotions came to his heart, and Yiyan couldn't help crying anymore. "Father. He couldn't speak, and his face was filled with large crystal teardrops. These tears are not for favor, but from the heart of the reluctance to pass away. It is more heartfelt and moving than any words. Daoguang sighed lightly and reached out to cover the back of Yiyan's hand.
He also remembered that this son was simple-minded and gentle, and never asked for anything. Now that there are many new recruits in the court, Yiyan is not such an arrogant and decisive person after all. But this time the grief was overwhelming, and Daoguang couldn't help but feel pity. Perhaps because of Yiyan's tenderness and sincerity, his father couldn't bear to part with him even more.
After the two sons left the palace, Daoguang fell into deep thought. The courtiers on the left and right all held their breath and condensed, for fear that one would not be able to guess the emperor's mind if he was not careful. After a long time, Daoguang softly ordered the eunuch to pass Yiyan inside, and then the limit was approaching. It was a brilliant day, and the Forbidden City was splendid. Emperor Daoguang slowly closed his eyes on the gorgeous dragon bed, and the news of his death soon spread throughout Ouchi.
According to convention, Yihe should be on the throne, after all, he is resourceful and highly valued by the emperor. This time, however, the gears of fate have turned in the other direction. The Empress Dowager and her important ministers opened the Daoguang edict and were shocked to find that the new emperor was actually an introverted Yiyan - which surprised everyone. However, after the edict was issued, they had to accept the decision painfully.
The Qing court held a grand and solemn enthronement ceremony. Yiyan changed into a golden dragon robe and sat firmly on the high throne. He is not as submissive as before, but has an extraordinary bearing and a kingly demeanor. After the worship of the ministers was completed, he slowly announced the name of his era. "I ascended the throne and took 'Xianfeng' as the yuan number.
I hope that the Qing Dynasty will be peaceful and peaceful, and the country will last forever. After speaking, the court roared and shouted long live, showing loyalty to the new monarch. Emperor Xianfeng sat on the dragon chair with a peaceful expression, his eyes were far-reaching, as if he was silently testing his ambition and the grand cause that was pinned on him.
For a time, the whole dynasty talked about it. Yiyan was finally able to ascend the throne as Emperor Xianfeng, which undoubtedly surprised many important ministers. What is even more surprising is that Emperor Daoguang summoned Yiyan into the palace before his death, but did not summon Yihe. Could it be that he has already seen through the personality of his second son and has already made up his mind? The twists and turns are far more complicated than one might think. In fact, Daoguang took a fancy to Yiyan's extreme filial piety to him.
In the face of life and death, gorgeous words and grand ambitions have become a thing of the past, replaced by heartfelt feelings outflow. As the famous saying goes: "Sadness is not in the words, but in the heart; Anger is not roaring, but Dan's heart is cold. Yiyan is so obscure, but at the moment of life and death, Daoguang was deeply moved. It is precisely because of this that this seemingly cowardly prince finally won after a silent contest and inherited the country.
The revelation of this incident to us is that true love and filial piety always surpass everything. They don't make beautiful words, but they warm the whole heart. Some people say that Yiyan's strength is not enough to hold power, but he has never doubted his pure heart. Due to his old age and declining health, it is beyond his power to worry about the people in the world; But he can still pass on the most precious things in the world to his most trusted son. This gift will eventually turn into a stream that nourishes this land and achieves the benevolent government of a generation of Ming monarchs.