Getting Rich from Legend of Zhen Huan

Hongxi, the grandson of Emperor Kangxi and the second son of Crown Prince Yinreng, was brought up in the palace by Emperor Kangxi along with his father Yinreng since childhood.

According to the Collected Works of Emperor Kangxi, on March 1709, , Emperor Kangxi said: "My serious illness has been completely cured. The reason why my sons were not given the title of king in the past was that I was afraid that they would become arrogant and willful due to their noble status at a young age. Therefore, the title they were given was no higher than Beile. This is also a way for me to encourage them to make progress..."

In the 1714rd year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1717), the envoy sent by the King of Korea returned to his country and stated the Emperor Kangxi’s intention at the time: “Hongxi is quite virtuous, so it is difficult to depose and enthrone Yunreng.” In the 1th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (3), it was also stated that “Yunreng’s second son Hongxi is also very virtuous, so I cannot bear to enthrone another son, and I have even demoted Yunreng.” [] []

On November 1722, 1, the 3st year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, rumors spread in the palace that Emperor Kangxi had only prepared to confer the title of prince on one person before his death, and that person was Hongxi, the second son of Yunreng. According to reports from foreign envoys who returned to Korea, Emperor Kangxi was seriously ill in Changchun Garden and knew that he could not get up. He summoned the cabinet minister Ma Qi and said, "My fourth son, Prince Yong, Yinzhen, is the most virtuous. He will be made the heir after my death." He also said, "The deposed Crown Prince Yunreng and the eldest son Yunti are not obedient. They will be imprisoned as before, and their food and clothing will be plentiful for the rest of their lives. I love the second son of the deposed Crown Prince Yunreng, so I specially confer him the title of prince." Emperor Kangxi died shortly after he finished speaking his will. [-]

On November 4, Emperor Yongzheng instructed the cabinet to prepare to confer the title of Duolo Prince on Hongxi.[]

On November 5, Yinzhen ascended the throne and issued an edict to the world. The Yongzheng Emperor issued an edict saying: "My father is the son of the late Emperor Defei. He was the second son of the emperor when he was young and was deeply loved by the emperor. He was very kind and devoted to the emperor. Unfortunately, he became mentally confused and had a seizure-like illness in his middle age. My father thought it was difficult to entrust him with the important task of the clan and the country, so he had to depose him again. After more than ten years, his illness is still serious and there is no hope of recovery. Therefore, on the day of his death, he ordered me to inherit the throne. I have many sons and nephews, and I only hope that we can be related to each other and live in harmony, share the blessings of peace and prosperity, and always work for a rock-hard peace..." [6-]

On December 11, Hongxi, the only nephew who was prepared to be conferred the title of prince during the Yongzheng Emperor's accession to the throne, was officially conferred the title of Prince Duololi.

At that time, the Korean envoys had specially reported to the King of Korea that Yunreng's second son Hongxi was specially chosen by Emperor Kangxi in his will: "I love Hongxi very much, so I will confer the title of prince on one of my sons later." And Kangxi died shortly after he made his final will. (The Annals of the King of Korea's Foreign vassal states that Kangxi did not record that he would confer the title of prince on his sons. It only states that Kangxi would confer the title of prince on Hongxi alone and no one else) [2-3] [7]

In February of the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723), Yongzheng respectfully presented the posthumous title of Kangxi to his ancestor, with the title of "Emperor of Hetian, Hongyun, Wenwu, Ruizhe, Gongjian, Kuanyu, Xiaojing, Chengxin, Gongde, Dachengren" [8].

According to the report made by the Korean envoys to the King of Korea after returning home, "Emperor Kangxi appointed Hongxi, the son of the deposed crown prince, as king, and Emperor Yongzheng transferred all the palaces, clothing, gold, silver, spoils, royal residence, and officials from his time at the palace to (Hongxi)."

(Kangxi’s underage sons and daughters were not given titles. Yongzheng followed the order of the previous emperor Kangxi and did not confer titles on sons and daughters under the age of 18.) [9]

※Hongxi’s eleventh son (unnamed) was born at 10: a.m. on the eleventh day of the first lunar month in the first year of Yongzheng’s reign and died young on the twenty-fourth day of the same month. From the end of the Kangxi reign to the first year of Yongzheng’s reign, Hongxi’s children suddenly died of illness, which was probably related to the family’s relocation to Zhenggejiazhuang in the first year of Yongzheng’s reign. []

In May of the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723), Emperor Yongzheng issued an edict: "Soldiers have been sent to build houses in Zhenggejiazhuang. I think Emperor Kangxi may want to allow Yunreng to live there. However, Emperor Kangxi has not issued any clear edict, so I cannot speculate on the matter. Now that Hongxi has been conferred the title of king, it is appropriate to allow Hongxi to lead his wives, concubines, sons, daughters, and younger brother to live in Zhenggejiazhuang." [11]

During his lifetime, Emperor Kangxi ordered the construction of Zhenggejiazhuang. Emperor Yongzheng, in accordance with Kangxi's will, ordered Prince Heng Yunqi, Prince Yu Baotai, Prince Chun Yunyou, and Beile Aixinjueluo Manduhu to arrange for Hongxi and his family to hide in Zhenggejiazhuang, 11 miles outside the capital, with more than 12 rooms. [13-11] At that time, Emperor Yongzheng also ordered people to treat Hongxi with courtesy, and with grand etiquette, ordered Hongxi to take his many wives, concubines, children, and brothers, and properly divide the family and arrange to hide outside the imperial palace. He also ordered thousands of soldiers, family servants, and slaves to protect Hongxi's Zhenggejiazhuang. Emperor Yongzheng was very concerned about Hongxi. Hongxi often called Emperor Yongzheng, who was actually his uncle, "Imperial Father" in his memorials, and had a harmonious relationship with Hongxi. [14] Moreover, Hongxi was allowed to go to Beijing once a month to participate in court meetings, archery, and temple sacrifices. [] []

Emperor Yongzheng also arranged for the fifteenth prince, Yunyu, to raise Hongxi's son. [15] However, Hongxi's father, Yunreng, was still imprisoned in Xian'an Palace in the imperial city because of his guilt. [16]

On August 1723, the first year of the Yongzheng reign (17), Yongzheng summoned all the kings, Manchus and Han ministers to the Qianqing Palace and said to them, "On November 23 last year, (Emperor Kangxi) hastily decided on the grand plan (for the selection of the crown prince) in one word, and everyone at home and abroad was delighted and satisfied, and shared the blessing of security. (Emperor Kangxi) has entrusted me with the important matter, and as the master of the clan society, I have to make plans in advance. Now I have written this matter and sealed it in a box, and placed it in the middle of the Qianqing Palace...behind the plaque of "Zhengda Guangming", which is the highest place in the palace..." He ordered all the ministers to leave, and still kept the prime ministers (Yunsi, Yunxiang, Ma Qi, Longkodo). According to the will of Emperor Kangxi, and beyond the system of the ancestors of the Qing Dynasty, the crown prince was first appointed in the first year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty, and the sealed edict was kept in the highest place in the Qianqing Palace. In particular, he made an exception and did not appoint a crown prince. Prince Li Hongxi was thirty years old, and the fourth prince Hongli was thirteen years old. [-]

On September 1723, the first year of the Yongzheng reign (24), Emperor Yongzheng instructed Prince Zhuang Yunlu and the Imperial Household Department’s Lai Bao: “When Prince Li Hongxi moves, in addition to making all the necessary preparations as usual, you should discuss with Prince Heng and others who originally discussed Hongxi’s matter how to send him off. If there is any mercy to be shown, I will issue another decree.” []

Prince Heng Yunqi, Prince Yu Baotai, Prince Zhuang Yunlu, Lai Bao, Li Tingxi, and Saha Lianchen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs replied: "Prince Li Hongxi will move on the 24th of this month. The day before the move, Hongxi and his wife will ask for the emperor's well-being. The next day, the th, they will set off at dawn. When they set off, they will set up a Duolo Prince's ceremonial guard. All the brothers of Hongxi's generation and rank will go to see him off. One idle minister, ten guards, one chief steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and ten family servants will be sent to see him off. In front of the wife, there will be four wives of the steward, six women of the fruit, and ten women of the fruit. When leading the way and accompanying, one guard and one guard will be sent. The school government sent guards. The princes, ministers, guards, and officials who saw him off all wore brocade robes and patched satin jackets. In addition, one head of the internal committee for food, four food masters, one head of the internal committee for tea, four tea masters, and two general managers were sent to go the day before to prepare tables for food and tables for steamed buns. As usual, a couple who were elderly and had been married since childhood were sent from the government to wait for Hongxi at his new home. When Hongxi arrived, they went out to greet him and offer him good wishes. The food on the prepared tables for food and steamed buns was provided for Hongxi and his wife to eat. After eating and expressing their gratitude, the princes, ministers, guards, and officials who had seen him off could return home. []