Yongzheng Emperor Yinzhen — Centralization Monarch and His Autocratic Agency

Yongzheng Emperor (1678 — 1735), named Yinzhen, also revered as Emperor Shizong of Qing, was the most innovative sovereign of the Qing Dynasty.

He was a remarkable monarch who brought his people wealthy and stable lives, a real fighter who bravely battled with the ruling class, a sovereign with many discredits and a controversial ending, and a playful person who liked to cosplay.

Meanwhile, as the founder of the most autocratic agency, the Grand Council of State, he probably was the most powerful emperor in Chinese history.

Portrait of Yongzheng Emperor, By Court Artist of the Qing Dynasty — Palace Museum

An Alienated but Well-Experienced Prince

Yinzhen was the fourth son of the Kangxi Emperor, but he didn’t get much attention from his father, who spent more time parenting the current crown prince.

Yinzhen's mother was not noble enough to care for him directly. In the Qing royal palace, only honorable queens or imperial concubines with high status had the privilege of raising their sons themselves. Consequently, he was raised by another superior consort.

However, when Yinzhen was ten, his mother gave birth to his younger brother and gained the right to raise this baby boy on her own. This led her to always favor his little brother.

Like other princes, Yinzhen went to school early and started participating in politics as a teenager.

He traveled to many places in China and obtained first-hand information about the civilians’ daily lives, and he has respected Taoism and Buddhism since then.

Cyan Glaze Flask Produced Under Yongzheng Emperor's Reign — Palace Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Perfect Disguise and Intrigue in the Struggle for the Throne

After the first time that his father abrogated the crown prince, Yinzhen and many of his other adult brothers started their intense competition over the throne.

Yinzhen appeared to be less aggressive or outstanding compared to his brothers.

Still, he was an intelligent double dealer who made his father and other brothers believe that he was only a loyal and capable prince who never had wishful thinking about the throne.

He also secretly achieved support from two important officials, one was in charge of the security of the royal palace, and the other was an excellent general who could protect the kingdom.

Weapons of the Qing Dynasty Decorated With Gems and Copper — Palace Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Ascending to the Throne as the Yongzheng Emperor

Yinzhen finally won the throne when he was 44, though many rumors said he was not the one his father assigned.

After Yinzhen became the Yongzheng Emperor, he demoted or imprisoned all his brothers who had competed for the throne with him, including his younger brother, who shared the same mother as him.

Moreover, Yongzheng Emperor’s birth mother never felt happy about his success. Instead, she was very upset about him having expelled his little brother, who had been a strong competitor.

So, she refused the title of empress dowager and passed away a few months after Yongzheng ascended to the throne.

Afterward, the Yongzheng Emperor spent around three years dismantling all political factions associated with his competitors.

His two important supporters were also demoted and imprisoned until death for controversial reasons.

Yongzheng Emperor's Comments (Red Characters) on Officials' Reports — Palace Museum

Yongzheng Emperor as the Most Powerful Monarch in History

When Yongzheng Emperor ascended to the throne, he took over from his father a government full of partial conflicts and corrupted officials, and a relatively empty exchequer, because of some long-term wars.

Consequently, the Yongzheng Emperor became a diligent monarch who cared about his people and was a brave and real fighter.

Besides his tough and complete defeat of those political parties, the Yongzheng Emperor sternly and equally punished and executed those corrupted officials, no matter how noble these people were.

He then established an administrative office (the Grand Council of State) that only reported to himself, which strongly enhanced his centralized power and made him the most powerful emperor in Chinese history.

Yongzheng Emperor's Seal, Carved with "Diligent and Affectionate" (Qin Zheng Qin Xian) — Palace Museum

Epic Battle Against the Entire Ruling Class

At the beginning of the Yongzhen Emperor's reign, he implemented innovative reforms that jeopardized almost the entire ruling class's benefit while benefiting poor and humble civilians.

Since then, the Yongzheng Emperor led a few of his loyal officials to fight against the entire ruling class.

One of his most influential policies required everyone to pay the tax.

Previously, the noble class, political officials, and knowledgeable individuals who excelled in the Imperial Examination were exempt from paying taxes, as knowledge was considered a significant privilege in ancient Chinese culture.

After the Yongzheng Emperor's new policy, everyone except for royals and a few extremely noble Manchu families needed to pay the tax.

This displeased almost the entire ruling class, though it increased national income.

Part of Painting "Yongzheng Ji Xian Nong Tan Tu", About Yongzheng Emperor Worshiping the Deities of Agriculture 1

Part of Painting "Yongzheng Ji Xian Nong Tan Tu", About Yongzheng Emperor Worshiping the Deities of Agriculture 2

Part of Painting "Yongzheng Ji Xian Nong Tan Tu", About Yongzheng Emperor Worshiping the Deities of Agriculture in the Temple of Agriculture (Xian Nong Tan) of Beijing to Pray for Harvest — Palace Museum

Therefore, literate people frequently criticized him throughout history; his son, the Qianlong Emperor, abolished this policy right after Yongzheng passed away.

As for civilians, his new tax system, in which people pay tax based on the number of lands they own instead of the number of people in the family, efficiently eased the civilian’s financial pressure and encouraged agriculture.

Conversely, those wealthy landowners needed to pay much more money.

Hence, besides those unhappy powerful people from the ruling class, the Yongzheng Emperor also displeased those rich people.

Part of Painting "Yongzheng Shier Yue Xing Le Tu", About Yongzheng Emperor and His Family's Daily Lives in the Old Summer Palace, By Artist Giuseppe Castiglione — Palace Museum

The Invention of a New Inheritance System

Yongzheng Emperor highly respected Confucianism; additionally, many of his powerful and trusted officials were Han people, which made him the only monarch in the Qing Dynasty who realized race equality in his government.

However, he also implemented the Literary Inquisition and suppressed the business trades, as his father did.

Moreover, to avoid intense and cruel competition over the throne, as he and his brothers had done before, the Yongzheng Emperor wrote down the name of his chosen heir in two sealed envelopes and hid them in two different places.

After he passed away, people would open those envelopes together and welcome the new emperor.

This then became the inheritance system of the Qing Dynasty for a long time.

Golden Box of the Qing Dynasty Decorated with Gems — Palace Museum (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Yongzheng as a Fan of Cosplay

To many people’s surprise, Yongzhen Emperor was a big cosplay fan. He left many pictures of him wearing different clothes and doing various things.

As an extremely busy and diligent emperor, it’s unlikely that Yongzhen had worn, posed, and done those things.

Maybe this was a means for him to experience things he wanted to do; perhaps he was just a cosplay fan.

Those paintings are well preserved in the Forbidden City, also named the Palace Museum, to show the world the fun side of the Yongzhen Emperor.

Some Yongzheng Emperor's Different Cosplay Figures in "Yongzheng Xing Le Tu", By Court Artists of the Qing Dynasty — Palace Museum

Controversial Death and Legacy of the Yongzheng Emperor

Yongzheng Emperor's death was sudden, and the official document was simple. Hence, there were many gossip versions about his departure, including assassination, stroke, poison, etc.

His frequent travels when he was young and intense fights against the entire ruling class after becoming the emperor brought him many possible assassins and reasons. Till today, his death is still an unknown mystery.

During the 13 years of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, his kingdom improved significantly.

He was famous for his diligent and efficient work and severe means of fighting against corruption.

Yongzheng Emperor was a rare monarch who implemented policies that robbed the ruling class and the rich to feed the poor.

As a brave fighter for civilians and a big "traitor" to the ruling class, he was, like his comment, just a fearless and straightforward man.

After the Yongzheng Emperor left the world, he passed to his son a stable kingdom with a very rich exchequer, little corruption, and no partially conflicting or powerful clans that could manipulate politics.

Kiln Transformed Glaze Wine Container (Zun) Produced Under Yongzheng Emperor's Reign — National Museum of China (Photo by Dongmaiying)

Next: The Luckiest Monarch and Saboteur of Historical Relics — Qianlong Emperor