A Throne Shrouded in Mystery

The death of the Kangxi Emperor in November 1722 marked the end of an era and the beginning of one of the Qing dynasty’s most controversial successions. As Beijing shivered in the winter cold, the ailing emperor breathed his last in the imperial retreat of Changchunyuan. His fourth son, Yinzhen, ascended the throne, proclaiming the new era name “Yongzheng.” Yet, from the moment of his accession, whispers of illegitimacy swirled around Yongzheng’s reign.

Official records, such as Wang Xianqian’s Donghua Lu, assert that Kangxi’s deathbed edict explicitly named Yinzhen as his successor, praising his “noble character” and fitness to rule. However, the absence of Yinzhen during the edict’s reading by the influential official Longkodo fueled suspicions. Unofficial histories, like Qingchao Yeshi Daguan, spun darker tales: Kangxi had allegedly named his fourteenth son, Yinti, as heir, only for Yinzhen to alter the edict by changing a single character—turning “ten” (十) into “fourth” (第) or “于” (a grammatical particle). Skeptics argued that such tampering was implausible—imperial edicts were written in Manchu, where such alterations would be linguistically impossible. Yet, the rumors persisted, immortalized in Yongzheng’s own Dayi Juemilu, where he defensively addressed the “ten-to-于” conspiracy.

The New Emperor’s Gambit: Consolidating Power

Yongzheng moved swiftly to secure his rule. His initial appointments—placing his eighth brother Yinsi, trusted thirteenth brother Yinxiang, and key officials like Longkodo in high positions—were calculated maneuvers. The recall of the militarily powerful fourteenth prince, Yinti, from the frontier neutralized a potential rival. Yet, Yongzheng’s reign would be defined by ruthless efficiency.

In 1723, he instituted the “secret heir designation” system, storing the successor’s name behind the “Upright and Brilliant” plaque in the Qianqing Palace. This innovation aimed to prevent the bloody struggles he himself had endured. His Discourse on Factions (1724) condemned political alliances, a thinly veiled warning to former rivals like Yinsi and Yintang, whom he later purged, even stripping them of dignity with humiliating Manchu epithets (“Aqina” for “dog,” “Seshe” for “pig”).

The Machinery of Control: Reforms and Repression

Yongzheng’s reign revolutionized Qing governance. In 1729, he established the Grand Council (Junjichu), a streamlined body bypassing the deliberative Council of Princes. Through “palace memorials” (mizhe), officials communicated directly with the emperor, while “court letters” (tingji) ensured rapid imperial decrees. This centralization marginalized the traditional内阁 (Neige), rendering it ceremonial.

His fiscal reforms were equally transformative. Building on Kangxi’s “perpetual tax freeze” (1712), Yongzheng implemented the “head tax merger” (tan ding ru mu), abolishing the centuries-old poll tax by folding it into land taxes. This policy, trialed in Sichuan and Guangdong, was rolled out nationwide by 1723–1724, easing peasant burdens while boosting revenue.

The Fall of the Mighty: Purges and Paranoia

Yongzheng’s reliance on key allies proved fleeting. Longkodo, instrumental in his accession, was imprisoned by 1726 on charges of corruption and treason. The emperor’s once-beloved general, Nian Gengyao, met a grimmer fate. After crushing the Dzungar threat in Qinghai (1724), Nian’s arrogance—reportedly forcing provincial governors to kneel—turned Yongzheng against him. A trivial error in a congratulatory memorial (“diligent at night” instead of “diligent at dawn”) became pretext for his downfall. Accused of 92 crimes, Nian was forced to commit suicide in 1726, his family exiled or enslaved.

The Iron Fist and the Bureaucratic Machine

Yongzheng’s governance blended micromanagement with institutional overhaul. His vermilion rescripts on provincial reports reveal a ruler obsessed with detail, mocking incompetent officials as “blockheads” or praising diligence with startling intimacy (“Amitabha! What a close call!”). His “Four Great Viceroys”—Nian, Ortai, Tian Wenjing, and Li Wei—epitomized his meritocratic yet merciless style.

Tian Wenjing, a low-born clerk risen to Governor-General, enforced tax collections with such rigor that critics accused him of brutality. Yet Yongzheng, despising the “examination clique’s cronyism,” shielded him. Li Wei, a捐官 (purchased-degree holder), cracked down on Jiangnan’s salt smugglers with equal fervor. Ortai’s “abolition of native chieftains” (gaitu guiliu) in Yunnan dismantled tribal autonomy, extending direct imperial rule.

Legacy: The Architect of High Qing

Yongzheng’s 13-year reign (1723–1735) was brief but pivotal. His reforms—fiscal, administrative, and military—laid the groundwork for Qianlong’s golden age. The Grand Council endured as the Qing’s nerve center until 1912. Yet his legacy is dual-edged: a visionary modernizer and a paranoid autocrat.

His death in 1735, after a sudden illness, passed the throne seamlessly to Qianlong—a testament to his secret succession system. In his will, Yongzheng styled himself the dutiful son of Kangxi’s vision, though history remembers him as the emperor who ruled with a brush in one hand and a dagger in the other.

The enigma of his accession remains unresolved, but Yongzheng’s impact is undeniable: he forged a centralized, efficient, and ruthless state that defined Qing rule for generations.