Yongzheng Dynasty
| Yongzheng Dynasty | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover art | |
| Genre | Historical drama |
| Written by | Eryue He (original story) Liu Heping |
| Directed by | Hu Mei |
| Presented by | Yang Weiguang Liu Wenwu Cui Zengfu |
| Starring | Tang Guoqiang Jiao Huang Xu Min Wang Huichun Wang Hui Du Yulu Jiang Guangyu Du Zhiguo |
| Theme music composer | Xu Peidong |
| Opening theme | De Minxin Zhe De Tianxia (得民心者得天下) performed by Liu Huan |
| Country of origin | China |
| Original language | Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Zhao Huayong Zheng Jiaming |
| Producers | Liu Wenwu Feng Ji Su Bin Luo Hao |
| Production location | China |
| Cinematography | Chi Xiaoning Zhang Yuefu |
| Editors | Liu Miaomiao Wu Zhaolong |
| Running time | 45 minutes per episode |
| Production companies | CCTV Changsha TV 北京同道文化发展有限公司 |
| Original release | |
| Network | CCTV |
| Related | |
| Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) Li Wei the Magistrate II (2004) | |
| Yongzheng Dynasty | |||||||
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| Chinese | 雍正王朝 | ||||||
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Yongzheng Dynasty is a 1997 Chinese historical television series starring Tang Guoqiang and Jiao Huang. The series, spanning 44 episodes, occupied the CCTV-1 prime time slot; after its premiere, there have been many re-runs of the show on television networks in Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as mainland China. The series was adapted from Eryue He's historical novels, which are loosely based on historical events in the reigns of the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors in the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). The series was followed by a 2001 prequel, Kangxi Dynasty, and a 2002 sequel, Qianlong Dynasty, both of which were also based on Eryue He's novels.
Yongzheng Dynasty was one of the most watched television series in mainland China in the 1990s and remains one of the "classics" among Chinese historical television dramas. It is among the highest rated CCTV-1 prime time historical dramas in history.[1] The series roughly covers Chinese history from 1705, some 15 years prior to Yongzheng's accession to the throne, to Yongzheng's death in 1735. About one third of the content is devoted to the struggle among the Kangxi Emperor's sons for the succession to their father's throne.
Yongzheng Dynasty received critical acclaim. The major themes covered in the series include loyalty and betrayal, fratricide, political corruption, and the centralisation of power.
Plot
Towards the end of the reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) in the Qing dynasty, the emperor's talented and ambitious sons vie for the coveted throne. Palace intrigue is rife as complex networks of loyalty emerge in the battle for succession. Eventually, the fourth prince, Yinzhen, emerges victorious; he becomes known as the Yongzheng Emperor. Many people are surprised as to why the Kangxi Emperor chose Yinzhen over his other likely heirs: second prince Yinreng, who has been crown prince for almost 40 years; third prince Yinzhi, who excels in literary arts; eighth prince Yinsi, who has a reputation for being virtuous; 14th prince Yinti, the warrior-prince favoured by his father.
Yinzhen, who is nicknamed "Stern Prince", was not seen as a strong candidate by the imperial court to succeed his father. Previously, he had incited victims of natural disasters in Jiangnan to create a disturbance; to help these victims, he prepared a "Feast at Hong Gate" to extort more than two million silver taels from rich merchants and provincial officials; in pursuing imperial treasury debts, he forced a senior official to commit suicide and caused nobles to sell their assets on the streets; he watched his brothers compete with each other until they were exhausted before he joined the fray; he used Nian Gengyao to cause Yinreng to lose his position as crown prince in a corruption scandal, however, superficially, he maintained good relations with the crown prince. In the ensuing struggle after Yinreng is removed for a second time as crown prince, Kangxi scolds Yinsi for vying for the throne, and forces Yinxiang into captivity. Kangxi appoints Yinti as border pacification general-in-chief.
As the ailing Kangxi Emperor lay on his deathbed, he assembled seven of his sons to his deathbed, including Yinsi and Yinzhen. Prior to the Emperor's death, Yinzhen releases Yinxiang from captivity, and sends him to take control of the Fengtai commandery on the outskirts of Beijing. Kangxi speaks to Yinzhen in private, telling him he intends to pass on the throne to him, then dies. Longkodo reads the Emperor's will declaring Yinzhen the new Emperor.
Yongzheng's rule was seen as authoritarian and vigorous, but efficient. Upon ascending the throne, he made Yunsi and Yinxiang his top advisors. His first priority was to pursue debts owed to the state treasury by officials. He meted out harsh punishments to officials found guilty of corruption and bribery. He also used the confiscated assets and properties from corrupt officials to finance disaster relief efforts and his military campaigns in northwestern China. He grows distant to some of his most trusted advisors, including Nian Gengyao and Longkodo. Both Nian and Longkodo eventually fall out of the emperor's favour. Yongzheng's 13th brother Yinxiang dies while his eighth brother Yinsi and ninth brother Yintang are expelled from the imperial clan and become commoners.
In 1735, the hardworking Yongzheng Emperor dies suddenly from what appears to be over-exhaustion. He is succeeded by his son, Hongli, who becomes known as the Qianlong Emperor. Before Hongli becomes the emperor, Yongzheng forces another of his sons, Hongshi, to commit suicide so as to prevent Hongshi from fighting with Hongli for the throne.
Historical Accuracy
- Yunsi-related
- The series over-emphasized Yunsi in a villain role, ostensibly for dramatic effect. The series showed Yunsi as much more "in control" of the situation than he actually was. Historically, Yongzheng scapegoated Yunsi more than the other way around. Furthermore, the Prince had fallen out of favour with Yongzheng by the second year of Yongzheng's reign (1724), and died in captivity two years later, but in the series he was portrayed to have died shortly before Yongzheng himself died in the last years of Yongzheng's reign.
- Historically, Yunsi did not propose an "Eight Princes Regency", nor did he propose to force the hand of the Yongzheng Emperor through controlling the military in the capital. He also did not liaise with iron-cap princes for the purpose of deposing Yongzheng. All the iron-cap princes involved in the 'palace coup' episode were fictional, as their names do not appear on the historical record.
- The series made repeated references to Yunsi being created a qinwang (Prince of the first grade) by the Kangxi Emperor, when, in reality, he was only a beile (two grades lower than qinwang) until the accession of Yongzheng. Historically, Yunsi became a qinwang on orders from Yongzheng, on the second day of the latter's reign.
- Other family members
- Yuntang was sent to the northwest ostensibly to aid military activity on the frontiers shortly after Yongzheng's accession; in the series this move is portrayed as a means to check Nian Gengyao, but in reality the purpose of this trip was to distance Yuntang from potential conspiracies with Yunsi.
- The Empress Xiaogongren, mother to Yongzheng and Yinti, died in June 1723, due to sudden illness, less than six months after her son ascended the throne. In the series it appears in the middle of his reign.
- Hongshi died at age 23 in 1727, likely due to being forced to commit suicide, though historians do not uniformly agree on the cause of his death. 1727 was the fifth year of Yongzheng's reign, meaning Prince Bao (Hongli) was heir presumptive for most of Yongzheng's reign. In the series, Hongshi was shown to have died nearing the end of Yongzheng's reign after having plotted to kill Hongli, none of which was backed by any historical evidence.
- Officials
- Historically, Li Wei was never Governor of Jiangsu, nor Viceroy of Liangjiang, as he was portrayed in the series. Li served Governor of Zhejiang, then Viceroy of Zhili in the latter years of Yongzheng's reign. However, implementing the replacement of the head tax with a land tax was, in fact, a major achievement of Li Wei historically.
- Wu Sidao was on the staff of Tian Wenjing and was never known to have liaised privately with Yongzheng. In the series, Wu Sidao was portrayed as a major mastermind during Yinzhen's struggle for the throne, serving Yinzhen directly.
- While Zhang Tinglu did serve historically as a head administrator of the imperial examinations, he was not executed for conspiring to leak the contents of the exam. In fact, he served with distinction until the early years of the Qianlong era.
- Neither the official historical record, which was likely doctored in Yongzheng's favour, nor any unofficial histories, stipulate Zhang Tingyu as being present during the delivery of the will of the late emperor. Apart from this detail, the series mostly stayed true to the official histories of the Qing Dynasty. A rough consensus among historians was that the "seven princes receiving the will" version of events was concocted by Yongzheng and his supporters after the silencing of his political rivals. More likely, the only significant figures tending to the Kangxi Emperor in his final days were Longkodo and Yinzhen himself.
- Personal
- In the series, Yongzheng is shown to have died due to exhaustion from overwork. Most historians agree that the cause of death was more likely his overdosing on what he thought to be an elixir for eternal life. His death also occurred rather suddenly; that is, he was not suffering from any known chronic illness. Historians believe that Yongzheng had become obsessed searching for such an elixir both before and after his ascension to the throne.
- Qiao Yindi, depicted as a lover to both Yinti and Yongzheng, was an entirely fictional character
Cast
Main cast
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Other cast
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Soundtrack
The music for the series was composed by Xu Peidong.
- De Minxin Zhe De Tianxia (得民心者得天下; The One Who Wins the Hearts of the People Gains the Empire) performed by Liu Huan
- Mutong (牧童; Shepherd Boy) performed by Xu Peidong
- Shengong (深宫; Inner Palace)
- Qingzhai (情债; Emotional Debt)
- Shangchao (上朝; Attending Court)
- Chuzheng (出征; Embarking on a Military Campaign)
- Qingyuan (情缘; Predestined Romance)
- Shijian (事件; Incident)
- Shenmi (神秘; Mysterious)
- Qingshang (情殇; Dead Romance)
- Minsu (民俗; Popular Custom)
- Qingyuan (情怨; Emotional Blame)
- Xingdong (行动; Action)
- Kaixuan (凯旋; Triumphant Return)
- Shiguan (史观; Historical Perspective)
Awards and nominations
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References
- ^ "《传奇皇帝朱元璋》欲争十一黄金档收视冠军". September 22, 2006.
- ^ "第十七届中国电视金鹰奖". 中国视协.