Getting Rich from Legend of Zhen Huan

On October 1723th of the first year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (25), the Yongzheng Emperor issued an edict to stop court celebrations and banquets on the Emperor's birthday, and to send officials to offer sacrifices only to the Qing Dynasty's ancestral tombs (during the Shunzhi and Kangxi periods, court celebrations and celebrations were not held on the Emperor's birthday, one of the reasons being the prevalence of smallpox and plague in the capital) [27-]

On November 1723, the first year of the Yongzheng reign (4), which was the anniversary of Kangxi's death, Emperor Yongzheng ordered his fourth son, Hongli, born to Concubine Xi, to be offered sacrifices at Jingling Mausoleum. []

After Yongzheng ascended the throne, while dealing devastating blows to his eighth brother, Yunsi, Longkodo and other political enemies, he actually adopted a conciliatory policy towards the family of the deposed Crown Prince Yunreng. For example, on November 4, the st year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, the first day after Emperor Kangxi's death, Yongzheng prepared to confer the title of Prince on his nephew Hongxi, a special treatment that none of Yongzheng's other princes and brothers' sons had ever received. []

In August of the second year of the Yongzheng reign (1724), Emperor Yongzheng summoned all the princes and royal family members and told them: "Since the previous year, I have respectfully invited Emperor Kangxi to my residence, the Old Summer Palace, and all the brothers have gathered. Since then, I have prepared a meal and invited Prince Zhuang Yunlu and Prince Yunlu to see the flowers... When Yunreng was the crown prince, he was the heir to the throne. Before Yunreng committed any crime, I only fulfilled my duties as a younger brother and a minister and was respectful and cautious in everything. Because Emperor Kangxi loved me (referring to Emperor Yongzheng) with great grace... Emperor Kangxi knew my character and behavior very well, so he entrusted me with the throne because I... had no partisanship and could understand the great principles and could protect you all." [4]

In December of the second year of Yongzheng's reign (1724), Yunreng was critically ill. Yongzheng Emperor began to arrange Yunreng's funeral and ordered Hongxi to fulfill his filial duties. On December 28, after Yunreng died, he was posthumously named Prince Heshuo Li and given the posthumous title of Mi. He was buried as a prince. On December 29, Yongzheng issued an edict: "My second brother Yunreng was convicted by Emperor Kangxi. If he were still alive, he would still be a guilty person. Now that Yunreng has passed away, his crime has been absolved. After his crime is absolved, he is still my brother. Therefore, he was not conferred the title of prince until yesterday. Before Yunreng died, he once said: I have received a lot of kindness from the emperor, and I am deeply grateful. He also taught Hongxi that if you can serve your emperor and father (Emperor Yongzheng) wholeheartedly, you will be a good son. These are all the sincere words of Yunreng." [-]

At that time, Emperor Yongzheng only specially granted Hongxi's mother, Li Jia, as Yunreng's concubine. He ordered that if Yunreng's other concubines had children, they could bring them in and raise them; if they wanted to live with Li Jia, the concubine, they could also live with her; if they did not want to, they would be given separate houses to live in. He ordered that they could all "have enough food and clothing to live out their remaining years." [4]

According to the Yongzheng Emperor’s Daily Records, on December 30, the second year of the Yongzheng reign, the ministers of state, Manchu and Han, etc., reported: “The emperor’s edicts regarding the Yunreng incident are extremely generous and gracious. We, the ministers, are humbled to think that Yunreng has been convicted and imprisoned for many years. When the emperor first ascended the throne, he was so benevolent that he conferred the title of Duololi County Prince on Yunreng’s second son, Hongxi…” []

In the fourth year of the Yongzheng reign (1726), the kings, civil officials and military officials jointly requested congratulations on Emperor Yongzheng’s birthday, which would be on October 31. Yongzheng issued an edict: “Since I ascended the throne, I have followed the example of my father, Emperor Kangxi. On Kangxi’s birthday, we never celebrated it every year. So this year, the Ministry of Rites requested congratulations on my birthday, but I decreed that it should be stopped. I will follow and implement all that Emperor Kangxi has done in the past sixty years that I can do.” []

In the fifth year of Yongzheng's reign (1727), Emperor Yongzheng personally issued an edict:

"Kangxi was rich for more than sixty years and practiced frugality to benefit the people. The clothes and utensils in the palace were simple and plain, and the antiques were all ordinary items. There was not a single rare item. When my second brother Yinreng was in the East Palace, he collected many rare and precious items, which were several times more than what was in Kangxi's palace. I admire Kangxi's frugality and virtue, which is worthy of being a model for all generations to admire. I feel that what my second brother Yinreng did was useless and should serve as a warning. Since I know that my second brother Yinreng is wrong, if I pay attention to collecting and presenting him now, my future virtuous and knowledgeable descendants will not regard this as a burden to me. I intend to wait for my free time to mark all the items in the palace that were handed down by Kangxi or old collections in my own mansion, so as to make it clear that the emperor passed down the frugality of Emperor Kangxi and let future generations know about it." [32-33]

[Emperor Yongzheng decreed] Conferring titles on Hongxi and Prince Shuoli

In May of the eighth year of the Yongzheng reign (1730), Emperor Yongzheng ordered that Prince Li Hongxi be promoted to inherit the title of his biological father (Crown Prince of the Kangxi reign) Yunreng and Prince Li, becoming the highest-ranking prince among his peers [34]. (At that time, none of Emperor Yongzheng's biological sons could be granted the title of prince.)

In his imperial edict to Ortai, Emperor Yongzheng mentioned these words: “My concern for you is greater than my stubborn sons”, “My sons are all mediocre, and my brothers and nephews also lack outstanding talents. This is my sincere love, and my ancestors, Emperor Kangxi, have long witnessed it.” [35]

The Collection of Imperial Edicts in Chinese during the Yongzheng Period, Vol. 108, p.

In September of the ninth year of Yongzheng's reign (1731), Yongzheng's first wife, Empress Xiaojingxian, passed away. Prince Li Hongxi was appointed as the envoy to confer the posthumous title of the late empress on Baozun and to perform a ceremony to commemorate the late empress. [4]

In January of the 1733th year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (18), when the Emperor was preparing to confer the title of prince on the remaining two princes, he instructed the Imperial Clan Court: "My youngest brother (21 years old) Yinmi is loyal and honest, and has always been loved by the Emperor Kangxi. He has been studying in the palace for several years and his knowledge has gradually increased. I am pleased to confer him the title of prince. The fourth prince Hongli (21 years old) and the fifth prince Hongzhou (36 years old), both of whom are over 37 years old, are also conferred the title of prince, and all ceremonies shall be held as usual." [-] (Hongli was the most beloved by Kangxi, but he could not even be conferred the title of prince or beile).

In February of the eleventh year of Yongzheng's reign (1733), Emperor Yongzheng conferred titles on Yinmi as Prince Zhen, on his fourth son Hongli as Prince Bao, and on his fifth son Hongzhou as Prince He. [4]

In July of the eleventh year of Yongzheng's reign (1733), Emperor Yongzheng conferred the title of county lady on Hongxi's daughter. [4]

In August of the 1735th year of Yongzheng's reign (38 AD), Emperor Yongzheng was seriously ill. His fourth son Hongli and his fifth son Hongzhou were by his side in Yuanmingyuan. At 38 pm, Grand Secretaries Ortai and Zhang Tingyu came to Emperor Yongzheng's bedroom and respectfully presented him with a handwritten imperial pen, which said, "I appoint my fourth son, Prince Bao, Hongli, as the Crown Prince and heir to the throne." Emperor Yongzheng died in the middle of the night on his sickbed after appointing his fourth son Hongli as the Crown Prince. Crown Prince Hongli returned to the Qianqing Palace and unveiled the will [41]: "Hongli, the fourth son of the Emperor Bao, is the most beloved of all his grandchildren... He was later granted the title of prince in order to prepare him for a position of vassal and to learn about state affairs... so that Crown Prince Hongli could become a great ruler of his generation... and he and Prince He Hongzhou are of the same blood and are truly one and the same... Grand Secretary Zhang Tingyu is a man of integrity and sincerity, and he has made great contributions to the compilation of the "Records of the Emperor Shengzu Ren"; Grand Secretary Ortai is loyal and has a talent for economics... I can guarantee that these two people will remain faithful to me." After unveiling the sealed will, Hongli ascended the throne and became Emperor Qianlong. [-]

In September of the 1735th year of Yongzheng’s reign (6), Emperor Qianlong issued an edict: “Yunreng’s sons Hongyu, Hongxun, and grandson Yongjing (under the age of 42) are still young, but have been raised by Yongzheng’s kindness and continue to live in the palace. They have now grown up. Yongzheng originally wanted to grant them a house to live in, but he has not issued an edict yet. Now, in view of the emperor’s kindness and long-term planning, I have decided to confer the title of prince on them. I have ordered the chief ministers (E’ertai, Zhang Tingyu, Yunlu, and Yunli) to work with the Ministry of Internal Affairs to make a final decision and submit a report.” []