In the later years of Emperor Kangxi's reign, a fierce struggle for the throne erupted among more than a dozen imperial princes, each scheming against the others. This triggered the most intense succession conflict in Qing Dynasty history, known as the "Nine Dragons Contention" (Nine Sons' Struggle for the Throne). While many princes were deeply embroiled in this turmoil, one prince remained remarkably calm and indifferent, focusing his energy instead on scholarly pursuits.
This prince was Yinzhi, the third son of Emperor Kangxi. The Kangxi Emperor himself was highly studious and had foreign missionaries in the imperial palace, so he placed great importance on his sons' education. Yinzhi was the product of this dedicated effort—a true intellectual prodigy. Although he was not as outstanding as his brothers in other respects, in terms of scholarly talent, he stood out as exceptional.
While many princes were vying for the position of crown prince, using every trick in the book, Yinzhi took a different path. He gathered a group of literati around him, spending vast amounts of time compiling and editing books. He presided over the compilation of two monumental works: "The Origin of Music, Calendar, and Astronomy" (Lü Li Yuan Yuan) and "Complete Collection of Ancient and Modern Books" (Gu Jin Tu Shu Ji Cheng). As a result, he earned deep favor from his father, the emperor.
However, despite staying aloof from the succession struggle, after the Yongzheng Emperor ascended the throne, Yinzhi was still targeted and persecuted by his younger brother, ultimately meeting a tragic end in confinement. Why did this happen?
The Yongzheng Emperor initially held a grudge against Yinzhi because of his close relationship with the deposed crown prince, Yinreng. Following the principle that "the enemy's friend is also the enemy," Yongzheng naturally disliked his third brother. After ascending the throne, Yongzheng began to suppress Yinzhi. He first exiled Yinzhi's trusted confidant Chen Menglei to the frontier, then directly targeted Yinzhi himself—first forcing him to guard Kangxi's mausoleum, and later changing his name to Yunzhi. Yinzhi's son suffered as well, being stripped of his noble title after being found guilty of a crime.
For Yinzhi, who had once enjoyed immense favor and privilege, this was a profound humiliation. But with the political situation against him, he could only submit. For the next few years, as Yongzheng was preoccupied with state affairs and saw Yinzhi as no immediate threat, he largely ignored him. Yet this respite was temporary. In the sixth year of the Yongzheng reign, Yinzhi was accused of accepting bribes and became a renewed target of attack, demoted from a Prince to a Junwang (a lesser royal title). After enduring two painful years, he finally regained his status as a Prince. Though Yinzhi had suffered enough, he could never have imagined that an even greater disaster was about to strike.
Shortly after regaining his princely title, Yongzheng's most trusted brother, Prince Yi (Yinxiang), suddenly died. Yongzheng was utterly heartbroken. At this moment of deepest sorrow, Yinzhi committed a grave error. When Yongzheng held the funeral for Yinxiang, Yinzhi arrived late without justification. Worse, he showed little grief over his brother's death. This behavior directly provoked Yongzheng's fury.
After the funeral, Yongzheng immediately moved against Yinzhi. Under the leadership of Prince Zhuang (Yunlu), several ministers jointly submitted memorials accusing Yinzhi of improper conduct. Among the serious charges was the allegation that he had maintained close ties with the disgraced eighth prince. The Imperial Clan Court initially recommended that "Yunzhi and his son Hongsheng both be sentenced to death." Yongzheng rejected this recommendation, opting for a "lenient" punishment: stripping Yinzhi of his title and placing him under house arrest.
From this point on, under Yongzheng's relentless suppression, Yinzhi lost all hope of redemption. His entire family was placed under strict surveillance by Yongzheng's men, living like prisoners. Less than two years later, Yinzhi died in depression and illness, bringing to an end a life that began with promise but ended in sorrow.