A Son’s Extravagant Grief: The Death of Emperor Kangxi

When Emperor Kangxi, one of China’s longest-reigning monarchs, died in December 1722 after 61 years on the throne, his successor Yongzheng staged an unprecedented spectacle of mourning. The newly enthroned emperor transformed funeral rites into dramatic performances that blurred the lines between genuine sorrow and political theater. Historical records from the Qing Shizong Shilu (Veritable Records of the Yongzheng Emperor) document these extraordinary displays with striking detail, revealing how imperial grief became both a personal expression and a calculated demonstration of legitimacy.

The Performance of Filial Devotion

### Ritualized Lamentations

Yongzheng’s mourning followed strict Qing protocols where vocal demonstrations of grief were mandatory. Court etiquette demanded that male mourners—including emperors—outwardly surpass female relatives in displays of sorrow. During the “small enclosure” ritual (dressing the deceased), records describe Yongzheng:

“His Majesty wailed bitterly, pounding his chest without cease.”

The emperor’s theatrics intensified during the “great enclosure” (placing the body in the coffin). Witnesses reported:

“He wept until collapsing unconscious, remaining prostrate for a long time before rising to clutch Kangxi’s feet in renewed anguish.”

### A Procession of Tears

As Kangxi’s coffin moved from the Forbidden City’s Qianqing Palace to Jing Mountain’s Guande Hall, Yongzheng’s lamentations grew more elaborate. Officials noted his cries “shook the streets” during the transfer, and when interring the coffin at the mausoleum, his “wailing reverberated through the forests.” These hyperbolic descriptions, while adhering to Confucian ideals of filial piety, also served to cement Yongzheng’s image as the devoted heir amid lingering succession disputes.

Blood and Soil: Symbolic Acts of Legitimization

### The Naming of Jingling Mausoleum

The selection of Kangxi’s tomb name became another performative act. When presented with potential names for the mausoleum (the fifth imperial burial site in Chinese history to bear the “Jing” designation, meaning “lofty” or “admirable”), Yongzheng allegedly:

“Overcome with grief, pricked his finger to circle ‘Jingling’ in blood rather than using the prepared vermilion brush.”

This theatrical gesture—ostensibly demonstrating humility—carried deep symbolism. By shedding his blood to name his father’s tomb, Yongzheng physically connected his lineage to Kangxi’s legacy while showcasing extreme filial submission before court officials.

### The Knee-Walking Earth Ritual

During the 1724 Qingming Festival, Yongzheng introduced an unprecedented modification to the traditional futu (earth-spreading) ceremony. Rather than walking upright to deposit soil on Kangxi’s burial mound:

“He knelt while ascending the tomb’s slope, cradling the earth basket until his knees bled onto the sacred mound.”

This self-inflicted suffering created a visible, visceral connection between son and father—quite literally marking the tomb with his devotion. No prior Qing emperor had performed the ritual in this manner, making it both a personal innovation and a potent political statement.

Cultural Context: The Politics of Mourning

### Confucian Expectations vs. Political Reality

In Confucian ideology, xiao (filial piety) was the foundation of societal order. For emperors, extravagant mourning served dual purposes:

1. Demonstrating moral superiority through visible grief
2. Reinforcing the legitimacy of often-contested successions

Yongzheng’s reign began under clouds of suspicion regarding his ascension—rumors persisted that he had usurped the throne from more favored brothers. His excessive mourning rituals functioned as ideological counterarguments, positioning him as the unquestionably devoted heir.

### Baroque Mourning in the Qing Court

The theatricality mirrored European baroque monarchs’ use of elaborate funeral rites to project power. Like Louis XIV’s meticulously staged deaths of French royalty, Yongzheng’s performances transformed grief into statecraft. The blood-writing and knee-walking rituals particularly recall Catholic monarchs’ use of self-mortification to demonstrate piety.

Legacy and Historical Reassessment

### Scholarly Interpretations

Modern historians diverge in interpreting Yongzheng’s actions:

– Traditionalists view them as genuine expressions of Confucian virtue
– Revisionists argue they were calculated responses to succession controversies
– Performance theorists emphasize their role in imperial image-making

### Enduring Cultural Impact

The rituals established precedents for later Qing funerals, though none matched Yongzheng’s extremes. His blood-naming of Jingling became legendary, inspiring later artistic depictions of the “filial emperor.” Meanwhile, the knee-walking ceremony was never repeated—perhaps because its visceral intensity proved impossible to surpass.

Conclusion: The Emperor’s Two Tears

Yongzheng’s mourning spectacle reveals the intricate interplay between personal emotion and political necessity in imperial China. Whether interpreted as heartfelt grief or strategic theater, these rituals ultimately succeeded in cementing his legacy as Kangxi’s rightful heir. The blood on the tomb name and the scars on the burial mound became indelible marks of a son’s devotion—and an emperor’s shrewd understanding of power’s performative dimensions.