A Beloved Emperor Faces His Mortality

Johann Adam Schall von Bell, the German Jesuit missionary, enjoyed unwavering favor throughout Emperor Shunzhi’s reign. Even after the emperor embraced Buddhism, he maintained profound respect for the Western scholar. However, all golden ages must end.

On the first day of the lunar New Year in 1661 , as Beijing’s citizens celebrated amidst falling snow, palace guards delivered devastating news: The 24-year-old emperor had contracted smallpox. Imperial physicians worked in shifts while the government issued extraordinary nationwide decrees: No bean frying, no lamp lighting, no water splashing. The court also ordered a general pardon – desperate measures against a feared disease.

The Qing Dynasty’s Centuries-Long Battle with Smallpox

Smallpox haunted the Qing imperial family for three centuries. Among twelve Qing emperors, four contracted the disease . Countless princes and nobles succumbed – the family of Prince Yu Duoduo nearly became extinct from the virus.

Archaeological evidence traces smallpox to ancient Egypt, with Pharaoh Ramses V identified as history’s earliest known victim. The virus likely entered China around 250 BCE via the Xiongnu people. Over centuries, Han Chinese developed prevention methods, yet mortality remained at 30%. When the Manchus conquered China, their lack of prior exposure made them particularly vulnerable.

Desperate Defensive Measures

The Qing court implemented strict protocols against the disease:

### The Escape Strategy
At any smallpox outbreak in Beijing, unexposed royals immediately fled the capital. Young Shunzhi once experienced this when regent Dorgon stormed the palace, snatched the boy emperor, and galloped from the city – an act so abrupt that Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang initially feared a kidnapping.

### Isolation Protocols
Authorities mandated immediate quarantine for smallpox cases. Royals who’d survived smallpox were kept separate from vulnerable relatives. Foreign nobles without smallpox immunity faced travel bans. Shunzhi built two special smallpox retreats in Beijing’s southern and western suburbs, retreating there at the slightest health scare.

The Emperor’s Final Days

Despite precautions, smallpox claimed Shunzhi on the New Year’s second day . Sensing his demise, he summoned Grand Secretary Malegi and scholar Wang Xi to draft his testament – later known as the “Edict of Self-Reproach.”

### A Controversial Deathbed Confession
While several Qing emperors issued self-critical edicts, Shunzhi’s stands out for its apparent sincerity. Modern historians believe Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang substantially altered the document, as its tone differs markedly from Shunzhi’s usual voice. Emperor Kangxi later remarked: “Ancient rulers often avoided death in their decrees. Their final words rarely reflected true intentions, being composed by ministers when the sovereign was already incapacitated.”

The 1,000-character document contained three key elements:

### Fourteen Self-Accusations
Shunzhi harshly critiqued his reign: violating ancestral customs, adopting Han Chinese ways excessively, appointing Han officials improperly, and establishing the controversial Thirteen Eunuch Bureaus. Historians consider most criticisms unwarranted – his Han-friendly policies actually advanced Manchu-Han integration.

One legitimate critique involved his tenth admission: excessive mourning for Consort Donggo. After her death, protocol dictated a four-character posthumous title, but Shunzhi insisted on twelve extravagant honorifics: “Xiaoxian Zhuanghe Zhide Xuanren Wen Hui Duan Jing.” He posthumously elevated her to empress, mandated that all princes and officials above the fourth rank attend her funeral, and ordered thirty servants buried alive with her. Even her coffin bearers held the highest official ranks.

The Aftermath and Legacy

Shunzhi’s death at 24 marked a turning point. His successor Kangxi, who’d survived smallpox as a child, implemented widespread inoculation programs. The tragedy underscored the Qing dynasty’s vulnerability to disease and the complex interplay between Manchu traditions and Han Chinese governance practices during this formative period.

The young emperor’s reign, though brief, established critical precedents for cultural integration while his dramatic death highlighted the persistent biological threats that shaped imperial policy for generations. His final act – whether truly his own or edited by others – remains a fascinating window into the pressures of early Qing rule.