The Vigorous Prince and the Ailing Emperor

Before ascending the throne as the third emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Yongzheng was known for his robust health. As a prince during the Kangxi era, he exhibited remarkable physical stamina, often engaging in rigorous hunting expeditions and administrative duties. However, the burdens of rulership transformed his vitality into exhaustion. Crowned in 1722, Yongzheng adopted an intensely hands-on governing style, personally reviewing countless memorials and enforcing sweeping reforms—from anti-corruption campaigns to fiscal overhauls. The relentless workload, described in his own edicts as “toiling from dawn to dusk,” gradually eroded his health.

By the winter of 1727, the 45-year-old emperor faced a medical crisis so severe that court records ominously noted he “nearly met the King of Hell.” Though official archives withheld specifics, private accounts revealed alarming symptoms: erratic appetite, insomnia, alternating fever and chills, and a cluster of mysterious nodules on his jaw. Modern historians speculate these could indicate stress-induced ailments, infectious disease, or even heavy metal poisoning from traditional medicines.

The Perfect Storm: Grief and Illness

Yongzheng’s protracted recovery was compounded by two devastating personal losses that struck at the height of his infirmity.

### The Death of a Beloved Brother: Yinxiang

Yongzheng shared an exceptionally close bond with his 13th brother, Yinxiang, son of Kangxi’s Consort Zhangjia. Unlike the tense rivalries that characterized Qing succession politics, their relationship was one of genuine trust. As emperor, Yongzheng posthumously elevated Yinxiang’s mother to “Imperial Noble Consort Jingmin”—an unprecedented honor that involved exhuming her remains for reburial in Kangxi’s mausoleum. He further granted Yinxiang the hereditary title “Prince Yi of the First Rank” (铁帽子王), cementing his family’s status.

When Yinxiang fell ill in late 1727, Yongzheng dispatched imperial physicians and issued prayers for his recovery. The prince’s death in May 1728 left the emperor “prostrate with grief,” according to Grand Council memos. Court astrologers noted the timing coincided with a worsening of Yongzheng’s own symptoms, suggesting psychosomatic collapse.

### The Passing of Empress Xiaojingxian

Nine months later, another blow arrived with the demise of Empress Ulanara, Yongzheng’s primary consort. Their marriage, though arranged, was reportedly affectionate. She had borne his first son, Honghui, whose death at age eight became a shared sorrow. The empress’s quiet dignity and managerial acumen—she oversaw the imperial household’s vast bureaucracy—made her indispensable. Her death in September 1729 plunged the already frail emperor into deeper despair. A memorial from the Imperial Household Department recorded him murmuring, “The phoenix has flown; the nest is cold.”

Preparing for the Inevitable: Yongzheng’s Funeral Arrangements

Convinced of his impending death, Yongzheng began meticulous preparations for the afterlife—a process revealing both his piety and frugality.

– May 1730: He designated heirlooms for burial: two prayer bead strings (gifts from his grandmother and Kangxi) and a glass snuff bottle, instructing they be “kept carefully by the Clockmakers’ Office.”
– Later that month: He added a copy of Daily Sutras (日课经忏) and an ancient coin to the funerary inventory, emphasizing their placement “within the imperial coffin.”

Notably absent were the jades and gold typical of imperial tombs. Instead, these choices reflected Yongzheng’s Chan Buddhist leanings and rejection of extravagance—a stance consistent with his reputation as the Qing’s most austere ruler.

Resilience and Recovery: The Emperor’s Second Wind

Yet Yongzheng’s intellectual pragmatism ultimately prevailed. By late 1730, he adopted a multi-pronged recovery strategy:

1. Medical Interventions: Recruiting Taoist physicians renowned for herbal regimens, while cautiously embracing Jesuit-recommended therapies.
2. Work-Life Balance: Temporarily delegating tasks to his Grand Council, a governing body he had institutionalized years earlier.
3. Spiritual Solace: Increasing meditation retreats at the Yuanmingyuan’s Buddhist chapels.

The combination worked. By autumn, his health stabilized, granting five additional years of rule until his 1735 death—likely from stroke or heart failure.

Legacy: The Hidden Costs of Absolutism

Yongzheng’s health crisis offers a rare humanizing lens on Qing rulership. Beyond his famed administrative rigor, the episode underscores:

– The Psychological Toll of Power: His illnesses mirrored stress patterns seen in modern executives, with grief acting as a catalyst.
– Medical Limitations: Despite imperial resources, 18th-century medicine struggled with chronic conditions now treatable.
– Cultural Afterlife: The emperor’s minimalist burial choices later inspired Qianlong’s own funeral reforms, though reversed by successors.

Today, scholars cite Yongzheng’s ordeal to critique the “sage emperor” myth—revealing how even history’s most formidable figures battled private vulnerabilities behind the dragon throne.