In the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), on the fourth day of May, Prince Yi Yunxiang passed away. Emperor Yongzheng was extremely sad, his food was tasteless, and he had trouble sitting and sleeping. After serving as a solemn servant for a month, I felt a little relieved and thought that since ancient times, there has never been such a loyal and virtuous king to the country. On the day of Prince Yi's death, Yongzheng had several beads given by Emperor Kangxi and the Empress Dowager and the snuff bottle that Prince Yi had taken into the underground palace as funerary objects.

Emperor Yongzheng's "special favor" for Yunxiang and his family

In addition to giving Yunxiang burial objects, Emperor Yongzheng issued a series of edicts praising Prince Yi for his loyalty, and Emperor Yongzheng granted him the title of Prince Yi. The prince's posthumous title is "Xian". Emperor Yongzheng personally added the words "loyalty, respect, honesty, diligence, prudence and integrity" before the posthumous title. This is a special favor.

While attending to the funeral of Prince Yi, Yongzheng’s brother Yunzhi was dismissed from the rank because he was late for the funeral. This shows how deep Emperor Yongzheng’s affection for Prince Yi was.

After the death of Prince Yi, Yongzheng allowed the restoration of his original name Yinxiang. Such a favor had no precedent in the entire history of the Qing Dynasty.

When Prince Yi was seriously ill at that time, Emperor Yongzheng surveyed the tomb for Prince Yi. Emperor Yongzheng wanted to reward him with a lucky place, so he gave it to Prince Yi. When Prince Yi heard about it, his face changed with fright, and he requested that a peaceful and kind place in Laishui be given to him. Emperor Yongzheng did not agree. Prince Yi pleaded for mercy many times while he was seriously ill, and Yongzheng had no choice but to agree.

Not only did Emperor Yongzheng favor Prince Yi, the status of Prince Yi’s biological mother, Zhang Jia, was also improved. After Zhang Jia’s death, the posthumous title given by Kangxi was: Concubine Min, which was just a very common posthumous title. After Yongzheng succeeded to the throne, Concubine Min was promoted to Concubine Jingmin and was buried in Jingling Mausoleum. Not only was she promoted two levels in a row, she also set a precedent for concubines to be buried together.

Emperor Yongzheng also gave many awards to Yinxiang's children. "Records of Emperor Shizong of the Qing Dynasty" records: "I am responsible for the affairs of my brother, Prince Yixian. I am sincere and respectful. I praise Kuangxiang...my brother's son Hong Xiao, Prince Feng Yi. I will inherit it from generation to generation. The grace I give to my brother’s descendants cannot be arbitrarily reduced, nor can it be removed or changed.”

The greatest favor that Emperor Yongzheng gave to Yinxiang was to confer the title of Iron Hat King. Since Yinxiang's death, Emperor Yongzheng wrote many memorials and poems to express his longing for him. In "Occasionally Under the Flowers" Yongzheng wrote: "Whoever is a friend in the Nine Chong and Three Halls will be a close friend in the bright moon and clear breeze." On the first anniversary of Yinxiang's death, he wrote: "At festivals, the cattails are as old as the old ones, and whoever comes first to give the fine kudzu is the first."

So, how much power did Yinxiang have during the Yongzheng Dynasty, and what contribution did he make to the Yongzheng imperial power and the Qing Dynasty, so that he was so favored by Emperor Yongzheng?

Yongzheng succeeded to the throne in the 61st year of Kangxi (1722). "Records of the Ancestors of the Qing Dynasty" records: "Ming Beile Yunshu, Thirteenth Brother Yunxiang, University Scholar Ma Qi, Shangshu Longkodo, Prime Minister’s Affairs”. Not long after, Yinxiang was granted the title of Prince Heshuoyi. He was appointed Prime Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and Sanku, and in the first year of Yongzheng's reign, he was appointed Prime Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs.

In the first year of Yongzheng (1723), Yongzheng established the Huikao Office and ordered him to be in charge of the Huikao Office. In the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725), he was promoted to discuss political affairs, and within a few months he was responsible for the affairs of the Zhili camp. In the seventh year of Yongzheng's reign (1729), the Military Aircraft Department was established, and Yinxiang was appointed Minister of Military Aircraft. In addition, Yinxiang was also in charge of the Han army guards, the soldiers of the Eight Banners in Old Summer Palace, preparations for the use of troops in the northwest, and the Construction Office. Emperor Yongzheng visited the mausoleum and so on.

In general, during the Yongzheng Dynasty, Yinxiang combined political power, military power, finance, and personnel power. Later generations called him the "Executive Deputy Emperor". Prince Yi Yinxiang had ups and downs throughout his life, but he had great influence on history. The contribution he made is also indelible, and his relationship with Emperor Yongzheng Tangdi is also deeply touching.