The Mystery of the Battle for the Crown Prince in Kowloon

The Mystery of the Battle for the Crown Prince in Kowloon

Let's first talk about Emperor Kangxi's appearance. Although this article focuses on his sons, after all, the nine sons of the dragon are different. Let's first take a look at their father. In ancient times, the most important thing about an emperor's appearance was his ears. Thick ears that reached the shoulders were a symbol of status and were the foundation for an emperor to sit firmly on the throne. It was precisely because of this pair of thick and long ears that Emperor Kangxi was able to stand firm in such a harsh environment at the time.

Kangxi had an ancient appearance, a kind of strange appearance, with raised sun and moon corners, plump cheeks, straight nose and mouth, introverted charm, clear spirit and ancient appearance. It can be said that even if he did not become an emperor, he would have the potential to become an immortal and had the ability of great virtue.

The Crown Prince, the second son of the Emperor, Yinreng, was born in the 13th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1674). Because he was born to Empress Xiaochengren, he was the eldest son. In the 14th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi, when he was still a baby over one year old, he was made the crown prince. However, he was deposed in September of the 49th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi; reinstated in the 47th year; deposed again and imprisoned in October of the 51st year; died in the 2nd year of the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, and was posthumously named Prince Li and given the posthumous title of Mi.

He looks somewhat like his father, but is very different upon closer inspection. His inner ears are protruding outside and he has no castle in the air. He lacks composure and is bound to live a turbulent life. Judging from the shape of his eyebrows, although he is loved by his father, his eye sockets are deep, and he looks like a prodigal. His cheekbones are covered with gray and his cheeks are weak. Not only does he not have support, he also cannot control his subordinates. If the throne is passed to him, the Qing Dynasty will surely be defeated by him and perish by his son. How can there be any prosperity to speak of?

The third son of the emperor, Yunzhi, was born in the 16th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1677). Mother: Concubine Rong Ma Jia. Yunzhi was knowledgeable and talented, and became his father's right-hand man in academic matters. When Kangxi was fighting against Galdan, Yunzhi led the Red Banner Camp. At the age of 21, he was conferred the title of Prince Cheng; the following year, he was demoted to Beile; at the age of 32, he was promoted to Prince Cheng. When Yongzheng ascended the throne, he ordered Yunzhi to guard his father's Jingling Mausoleum. In the eighth year of Yongzheng's reign, he was stripped of his title and imprisoned. Ten years later, he died.

If you look closely, you can see that the third and fourth children look very similar even though they are from different mothers. However, the portraits are rather blurry. You can only see that there are fine lines on their foreheads and their complexions are uneven, which makes them look conservative and unlucky. He has literary talent but not murderous intent, he has knowledge but is not kind-hearted. He has neither the ability nor the strength to ascend to the throne.

The fourth prince Yinzhen

Born in the 17th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1678). Mother: Empress Xiaogongren. When Kangxi personally led the expedition against Galdan, Yinzhen was ordered to take charge of the Zhenghong Banner camp. At the age of 20, he was conferred the title of Beile, and at the age of 31, he was named Prince Yong of Jin. After Kangxi passed away, Yinzhen ascended the throne and became Emperor Yongzheng.

Everyone is familiar with this. The fourth son is full of energy, with a plump face and straight ears, and looks noble. However, such characteristics only make him a king. There are two more points that must be mentioned about the fourth son being able to become Yongzheng. Although his nose is strong and his forehead is broad, his brow folds are thin. This kind of person is also a born conspirator, good at strategy, hiding a needle in cotton wool, waiting to see what happens, and being calm and composed, not anxious or hurried, with the bearing of a natural king. In the chaos of nine princes competing for the throne, the competition was about who was more ruthless, who was more calculating, and who was more patient and calm. If it weren't for this chaos, he might not have been able to stand out in the end.

With Emperor Kangxi's vision, it is impossible that he does not have the fourth son in his heart. However, the chaos has already occurred and it is unreliable to say that Kangxi does not like the fourth son. However, how many people can guess the emperor's thoughts?

The eighth prince (originally named Prince Yeon) Yunsi

Born in the 20th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1681). Mother: Concubine Liang, Wei. When he was young, he was raised by Yunti's mother, Concubine Hui. Various ministers praised him for his virtue, and Kangxi's elder brother, Prince Yu, also praised him in front of the emperor for his "good character and his unwillingness to boast." Kangxi naturally liked him and conferred him the title of Beile at the age of 17. Later he was appointed as the chief steward of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Because of competing for the throne, he was stripped of his title of Beile and detained. Yunreng was released and Yunsi was restored as Beile. When Yongzheng ascended the throne, in order to stabilize his emotions, he ordered him to be the Prime Minister, promoted him to Prince Lian, and appointed him as the Minister of the Lifanyuan. In the first year, he was ordered to handle the affairs of the Ministry of Works. In the fourth year, Yongzheng stripped him of his royal title, imprisoned him, removed him from the clan register, and changed his name to Aqinna for his crimes such as forming a clique and acting recklessly. In the same year, he died.

The eighth son has ears that reach his temples and raised eyebrows. He can be said to be the most arrogant among the nine sons. He often thinks highly of himself and is inevitably frivolous. He lacks sincerity, has a wide face and a thin nose, which actually shows a difficult appearance. Although he has thick cheekbones and is supported by the public, he is restless and his cheekbones are often red. Smooth cheekbones and red cheekbones are two different things. Red cheekbones mean that disaster is imminent and the situation is extremely dangerous. It is said that Liu Xuande's cheekbones were as red as fire after his defeat at Changbanpo.

It can be said that even if the fourth brother died early, it would not be his turn to ascend the throne.

The ninth prince, Yunlu

Born in the 22nd year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1683). His mother was Concubine Yi, Guo Luoluo. At the age of 26, he was conferred the title of Beizi. After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he ordered him to be stationed in Xining. Later, on the grounds that he violated the law and formed a clique for personal gain with Yunsi and others, he was stripped of his title and imprisoned in the third year of Yongzheng's reign. In the fourth year, he was removed from the clan register and ordered to change his name to Saisihei. He died in the same year.

With three white spots on his eyes, a pointed nose and a typical vicious person, he deserves to be called the Venomous Snake Nine. However, compared with the Fourth Brother, he is not mature enough, so he is only qualified to stir up trouble behind the scenes and disrupt the situation. He does not have a far-reaching strategy of taking every step carefully, and is destined to not seize the throne.

Although Lao Jiu is a member of the Eighth Master's party and mainly supports Lao Ba, a man like him will certainly not put himself in a chaotic situation of struggle. Instead, he hides his ambitions very well and makes trouble behind the scenes. Once he has the chance, the first person he wants to get rid of is Lao Ba.

The Tenth Prince Yun (I)

Aisin-Gioro Yin (礻我) (1683-1741), his mother was Consort Wenxi Niuhuru, the daughter of Grand Tutor Guoyi Duke Ebilun, and the sister of Empress Xiaozhaoren. The tenth son of Emperor Kangxi, born in the 22nd year of his reign (1683), was granted the title of Prince of Dun in October of the 48th year of his reign (1709). In the 57th year of his reign, he was ordered to manage the affairs of the three flags of the Plain Yellow Banner, namely the Manchu, Mongolian and Han armies. Emperor Kangxi was very disgusted with him because he, Yin'er and Yin'zhen supported the eighth prince Yin'si in competing for the position of crown prince. In April of the first year of Yongzheng's reign, he was stripped of his title and arrested and detained in the capital. In the second year of Qianlong's reign, Emperor Gaozong ordered his release and conferred him the title of Duke of Fuguo. In the sixth year, he died, and the emperor ordered to bury him with the rank of Beizi.

Also in the Eighth Master's party, the Tenth Brother, has thick eyebrows, a long nose, a hard face and wide eyes. He is not a fool, but he is very loyal. Old men with thin faces and noses usually value loyalty. He has a spirit of sticking out for his brothers, but he is also easily betrayed. He has thick eyebrows, values ​​brotherhood, and has no selfish motives, but his lower lip is short and his later years are not good enough. If it were put in modern times, he would be a typical gangster.

The Thirteenth Prince Yunxiang

Born in the 25th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1686). Her mother was Imperial Noble Consort Jingmin Zhangjia. In the 61st year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, Yongzheng ascended the throne and named him Prince Yi, and ordered him to be the director of the three treasuries of the Ministry of Revenue. In the first year of Yongzheng's reign, he was appointed Minister of Revenue. He was "respectful, cautious and honest", and Yongzheng gave him money, food and official property as usual, but he declined them all. He "did his best as a loyal subject to Yongzheng" and was "prudent and loyal" in handling affairs, which was appreciated by Yongzheng. Three years later, he was promoted based on his merits and given the title of Prince of a County, and was given the title of King among his sons. Later, he served as Prime Minister in charge of water conservancy in the Gyeonggi region and made many achievements. He also handled military affairs of the two northwestern routes. Eight years later, he died. He was Yongzheng's most intimate brother and the one who received the most assistance from him.