Hongshi

Hongshi (Manchu: Hungši; 18 March 1704 – 20 September 1727) was a Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty. Born in the Aisin Gioro clan as the third son of the Yongzheng Emperor, he was banished from the imperial clan in 1725, ostensibly for supporting his eighth uncle Yunsi, a former political rival of his father. He died in relative disgrace in 1727 but was later posthumously restored to the imperial clan by his fourth brother, the Qianlong Emperor.

Early life

Hongshi was born in the Aisin Gioro clan as the third son of Yinzhen (Prince Yong), the fourth son of the Kangxi Emperor. His mother, a Han Chinese woman with the family name "Li", was a secondary consort of Yinzhen.^[1]

Yinzhen ascended the throne in December 1722 after the death of his father, and became historically known as the Yongzheng Emperor. In his father's early reign, Hongshi is not recorded as having played any major role in court politics. Unlike his fourth brother Hongli, who was awarded the title of a qinwang (first-rank prince), Hongshi never received a noble rank. Between 1722 and 1726, Hongshi became associated with his eighth uncle Yunsi, who was a former political rival of his father. In 1725, the Yongzheng Emperor stripped Yunsi off his princely title and banished him from the Aisin Gioro clan on trumped-up charges and accusations, after which Hongshi was also similarly expelled from the Forbidden City. In his imperial edict, the emperor also wrote that Hongshi can "be Yunsi's son if he wishes to" – suggesting that Hongshi had an especially close relationship with Yunsi, and that the emperor was deeply troubled by their close relationship.^[1]

While Hongshi was barred from entering the Forbidden City, he was not imprisoned like Yunsi. He was instead placed under the supervision of his 12th uncle, Yuntao.^[1] After his banishment, Hongshi did not show any remorse. In April 1726, the Yongzheng Emperor, deeply angered, ordered Hongshi's name removed from the yudie (玉蝶; imperial clan genealogy book), marking Hongshi's expulsion from the Aisin Gioro clan, and, by extension, the renunciation of their father-son relationship.

Death and rehabilitation

In September 1727, the Yongzheng Emperor allegedly forced Hongshi, then 23 years old, to commit suicide by hanging himself. However, there are no definitive historical records on the circumstances surrounding Hongshi's death. One popular theory says that the Yongzheng Emperor wanted to prevent history from repeating itself. The Yongzheng Emperor had once engaged some of his brothers in a prolonged struggle over the succession to their father's throne. Even after he became emperor, he still had to deal with their attempts at sabotaging his policies. Therefore, he wanted to eliminate Hongshi as a potential rival to his chosen successor (later revealed to be Hongli). Nevertheless, this theory is debatable because Hongshi, unlike those uncles of his, was never politically well-established in his own right – he neither participated in any military campaigns nor undertook any significant assignments.^[1]

Some historians remain deeply skeptical of the Yongzheng Emperor's motive to kill Hongshi, reasoning that he could have also simply placed Hongshi under house arrest or exiled him and achieved the same ends. Moreover, Yunsi and his associates had been largely rounded up and neutralised by the time of Hongshi's death; even if Hongshi was 'set free', he would not have nearly enough political clout to launch a coup d'état on his own. Nevertheless, Hongshi's death would make Hongli the presumed heir apparent for the remainder of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign (their fifth brother, Hongzhou, did not express interest in fighting for the succession).^[1]

Shortly after the death of the Yongzheng Emperor in 1735, Yunlu (允禄) wrote a memorial to the newly enthroned Hongli (Qianlong Emperor) asking for Hongshi to be posthumously rehabilitated and restored to the Aisin Gioro clan. The Qianlong Emperor obliged and remarked that Hongshi was "young and reckless" but that "many years have passed since his demise", so such harsh treatment was no longer necessary. The emperor also said that he still felt "brotherly love" towards Hongshi. Apart from some generic comments and a reference to Hongshi's association with Yunsi, neither Yunlu nor the Qianlong Emperor referred to any specific crimes committed by Hongshi; it is therefore still somewhat of a mystery under what circumstances the Yongzheng Emperor decided to disown and banish him.^[1]

In popular culture

In Eryue He's historical novel The Yongzheng Emperor (adapted into the television series Yongzheng Dynasty), Hongshi, acting on Yunsi's instigation, plotted against Hongli and engaged his brother in a power struggle over the succession. The novel and television series also suggest that the Yongzheng Emperor himself ordered Hongshi to commit suicide.

Family

Spouses

• Lady Donggo (棟鄂氏), Hongshi's primary consort, daughter of Sorda (席爾達)
• Lady Zhong (鐘氏), Hongshi's concubine, daughter of Zhong Da (鐘達)
• Lady Tian (田氏), Hongshi's concubine

Children

• Yongshen (永珅), Hongshi's only son, died at the age of three

Ancestry

See also

• Royal and noble ranks of the Qing dynasty
• Ranks of imperial consorts in China#Qing

References