In September of the eleventh year of Xianfeng (1861), Sushun was escorting Emperor Xianfeng’s Zi Gong on the official road back to the capital. Suddenly Prince Rui and King Junjun appeared in front of Sushun, with guards standing beside them. Shun knew that his doomsday had come, and the things that worried him most had happened. One day earlier, Duanhua and Zaiyuan, who had escorted the Empress Dowagers and Emperor Tongzhi back to Beijing, had been arrested and imprisoned by Prince Gong. The eight ministers appointed by Emperor Xianfeng during his lifetime were wiped out. The history is called "Xinyou Coup."
Under the planning and command of Prince Gong Yimao, a court coup that seized the supreme ruling power was finally over. Why did Prince Gong Yi Hao initiate a coup? How did he do it without blood?
Yiqi urges Xianfeng to return to Luan
Xianfeng ten years in September (1860), after Yiqi signed a peace treaty with Britain and France, the British and French allied forces withdrew one after another, Yiqi repeatedly asked Xianfeng to "settle the hearts of the people" as soon as possible Back to Luang. At this time, Xianfeng, who had taken refuge in the Jehol Palace, had been beaten by the British and French forces. He was afraid that Huiluan would be held hostage by barbarians again, so he repeatedly refused to return to Luang.
When Xianfeng fled the capital, only the royal ministers such as Sushun, Duanhua, Zaiyuan, and a few military ministers such as Mu Yin, Kuangyuan, and Du Han followed. Most of the officials were left in the capital by Xianfeng. Officials all have a feeling of being abandoned. They understood and sympathized with Prince Gong’s humiliating experience during the negotiation with the barbarians. They all stood by Yi Hao, begging Xianfeng to return to Luan, and then pointed the finger at the officials next to Xianfeng, pointing them to kidnap the emperor and prevent the emperor. When he returned to Beijing, he tried to "hold the emperor to make the princes and take power."
Yi Hao urged peace talks, and he was quite prestigious among the officials in the capital. In order to continue to hold power, Sushun and others did everything possible to prevent Xianfeng from returning to Luan, in order to achieve the goal of "taking the emperor to order the princes". Invisibly, Sushun and others prevented the emperor Huiluan from reducing their prestige among the officials in the capital. Yimao went the other way and strongly urged the emperor to return to Luan and use the opportunity to increase his reputation. This surprised Sushun and others. and.
Failed to see the last side of Xianfeng
Xianfeng's 11th year New Year's Day (1860), Xianfeng spent the first New Year's Day at the Jehol Palace far away from Beijing, despite the solemnity Shun and others tried hard to decorate the peace and extravagant ceremonies, but compared to the New Year's Day in Beijing and Yuanmingyuan in previous years, it was still different. When they thought of this, Xianfeng felt a little melancholy. Thinking back to the ten years since he took the throne, every day he was devastated by political affairs, the country was full of holes, and now he fled to Rehe for refuge under the name of "Beishou", thinking that Xianfeng was more sad here, so he decided to return to Luan in February. .
After Beijing heard the news, the people cheered for joy, and the whole city was immersed in a warm atmosphere. Yi Hao also stepped up preparations for Xianfeng's return to Luan. After a while, people found that the emperor was still in Rehe, and they were disappointed.
It turned out that Yi Hao reported to Xianfeng that the British and French ministers sent to Beijing to stay permanently and did not bring soldiers. This was part of the peace treaty, but Xianfeng was very disgusted with the barbarian’s entry into the capital, so he notified Yi Hao to cancel the return to Luan and change it to After autumn.
However, this postponement lasts for more than half a year, and Yima understands that Xianfeng, Sushun and others have a prejudice against British and French envoys stationed in Beijing. Reminiscent of Xianfeng's various accusations against him over the past few months, Yi Cheng deeply felt that the distance between his brothers was too deep. He urgently needed to meet the emperor's brother Xianfeng to clear up their misunderstandings and exchange feelings. At the same time, news of Xianfeng's critical illness continued to spread to the capital, so Yi Hao again requested to go to Rehe to "please peace."
Sushun and others were afraid that Yimao would talk to Xianfeng when meeting with Xianfeng and eliminate the estrangement. Therefore, they repeatedly denigrated Yimao in front of Xianfeng, saying that Yimao tried to co-operate with the barbarians to coerce the court, and that Yimao had too much power and should be protected. Xianfeng was more suspicious and did not want to see Yi Ma, because he did not want to listen to his opinions, so he instructed Yi Ma to stop him from using Rehe on the grounds that "meeting is sad and bad for health." In this way, Yi Mao didn't even see Xianfeng's last side. Yi Mao hated Sushun and others for preventing their brothers from meeting.
奕䜣 accident not listed. Gu Ming
In July, Yi Qi and the officials who stayed behind in the capital received news that Xianfeng was critically ill, and issued an order: the eldest son Yu Ming is now the crown prince, writing Zaiyuan ,endHua, Jingshou, Sushun, Mu Yin, Kuangyuan, Du Han, Jiao Youying dedicated their support to all government affairs. The next day I received the news and edict of Xianfeng's death. The edict was written by the eight ministers of Zanxiang and Xiang.
Only a few words mentioned in the edict of Prince Gong Yi: In August of last year, the autumn festival was held and the station was stationed in Jehe, and the ministers and ministers of government affairs of the Prince Gong Yi Mao, the ministers of various countries, etc., will deal with the trade affairs of various countries. .
On the same day, Yi Hao also received a funeral decree: Prince Zhu Pai Rui, Prince Renshou, Prince Yu Yi Dao, Prince Gong Yi Hao, Wang Yi Huan in the alcohol county, scholar Zhou Zupei, co-organizer, Shang Shu Shushun, Shang Shu Quanqing , Chen Fuen, Mian Sen, and Shi Lang Du Han respect the funeral. Chen Fuen accepted this order, that is, Star Speed came and walked. Prince Yu Yidao, Prince Gong Yi Su, Zhou Zupei, and Quan Qing all handled all matters in Beijing.
After receiving multiple decree in a row, Yi Ma was immersed in grief, annoyance and disappointment.
Yi Hao and Xianfeng used to be intimate, but they also had a grudge. Although Xianfeng was very jealous of Yi Hao in his later years, they were brothers who grew up together. Yi Hao has a special affection for Xianfeng, and the failure to see the emperor's brother last time has become a great regret in Yi Hao's heart. Because Yi Hao failed to rush to Rehe and Xianfeng in time to clear the estrangement, Yi Hao failed to enter the list of ministers of Gu Ming drawn up by Xianfeng on his deathbed.
Regardless of whether it is from the blood relationship or the contribution to the society, Yi Ma is fully qualified and capable to be the minister of life, and Yi Ma has every reason to believe that it must be Sushun and others behind it. Not only was there only a few words in the will to Prince Gong Yihao, but as one of Xianfeng's closest relatives, he failed to go to Rehe for funerals. On the other hand, Sushun's close friend Chen Fuen was able to go to Rehe. This made Yimao disappointed and added a layer of indignation.
hates and dissatisfies the Sushun Group, in addition to Prince Gong Yiya, there are also ministers who stay in Beijing. They believe that the crown prince is only six years old. According to the precedent of Dorgon assisting Shunzhi, Xianfeng's brother regent is in line with the ancestral system, and Prince Gong Yiya is the best candidate. Yi Hao not only treats others wisely on weekdays, but also promotes peace talks and stabilizes the political situation. Therefore, when everyone discovered that Yi Hao was not only not among the ministers of life, but also not allowed to go to the funeral, the officials were in an uproar. Due to dissatisfaction with the monopoly power of the Sushun Group and sympathy for the unfair treatment of Yimao, the ministers who stayed in Beijing gathered around Yimao, and a powerful anti-Sushun group force emerged.
found flaws in Xianfeng’s legacy
The calm down Yima made a major discovery. Recently, the decree sent from Rehexing added the two seals of "Royal Award" and "Tongdaotang" , And these two stamps are in the hands of the empress and concubine Yi Gui respectively, which shows that the decree can only take effect with the consent of the empress dowager and the emperor. This also means that the powers of the eight ministers of Zanxiang are limited. Yima realizes that what Huang brother Xianfeng left behind is not the previous single Guming system, but a system where the curtain and Gu Ming coexist. This allows Yima to manipulate it. The possibilities are greatly increased.
In addition, Yi Hao also found a trace of nuisance in the decree to the Queen and Yi Gui Concubine: the time when the Empress Niu Colu and the Yi Gui Concubine Nala were the Queen Mother, Yi Hao guessed that there was a dispute between the two palaces and the eight ministers of Zanxiang.
Yi Ma’s guess is not wrong. In the Jehol Palace, the two houses did have a fierce quarrel with Minister Gu Ming during the division of powers. Sushun believed that Minister Gu Ming was responsible for handling Military and political events were then passed to the Queen Mothers of the Two Palaces for reading, and the Queen Mothers of the Two Palaces symbolically stamped the two seals of "Imperial Reward" and "Tongdaotang". The empress dowagers of the two palaces resolutely disagreed, insisting that all memorials must be submitted to the queen dowager for reading, and all memorials must be stamped with the seals of "Royal Award" and "Tongdaotang" to take effect. Finally, Sushun and others made a compromise.
In the beginning, the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces and Minister Gu Ming were able to handle government affairs according to the agreed method, but as time passed, Sushun became more and more domineering, and did not put the Queen Mother and the Emperor in his eyes. Yimao decides to take advantage of the contradiction between the two palace queen mothers and Gu Mingda to overthrow the Sushun Group and seize the supreme leadership. So Yi Hao once again begged to visit Xianfeng Zi Palace in Rehe, and this time he finally got a permission answer.
Seeking political alliance
On the surface, Yi Hao's trip was to visit Xianfeng Zi Palace, but it was actually an alliance with the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces. Before leaving, Yi Ma secretly visited or contacted many officials in Beijing to seek political alliances.
The allies that Yi Hao has won can be described as a powerful plastic surgery: Jia Zhen, who is also an academician and in charge of military affairs, his other identity is Yi Hao's master, which has a great influence on Yi Hao's life; an academic and the prime minister's national affairs office Minister Gui Liang, his other identity is the father-in-law of Yi Hao; Minister of Military Affairs and Minister of State Affairs of the Prime Minister, Minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Zuo Shi Lang Wenxiang; Scholar and Minister of Household Affairs Zhou Zupei; Shang Shu of the Ministry of Criminal Affairs Zhao Guang; Minister of the Ministry of Justice Bao Yun; Shen Zhaolin, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, and so on, almost half of the officials of the imperial court have become members of Yi Hao, or allies.
Among them, the most critical allies are Shengbao and Senglinqin who hold heavy forces. During the peace talks, Yi Ma recommended Shengbao to Xianfeng many times, and Shengbao had a good impression of Yi Ma. At this time, Shengbao had more than 10,000 Qing troops. Seng Gelinqin was one of the ministers of Emperor Daoguang's life. He was highly regarded by Xianfeng and had always controlled the elite troops of the Qing army. However, this time Seng Gelinqin was excluded from Minister Gu Ming, and the dissatisfaction in his heart can be imagined.
In addition, for insurance period, Yi Ma specially sent Wenxiang to test the attitude of foreign forces. In the past year, foreign forces have clearly understood the attitude of the Sushun Group and the Yijia Group towards opening up, and therefore welcome Yijia’s actions.
After confirming that he has enough strength, Yi Ma decisively rushed to Jehol Palace, where a conspired coup is on the way.
formed a united front
As soon as Prince Gong Yixiang arrived in front of the Xianfeng Zi Palace, he knelt down and cried loudly, causing "everyone else to cry." Then the Empress Dowagers of the two palaces summoned Yi Hao. In order to confuse the Sushun Group, Yi Hao also invited Sushun, Duanhua, Zaiyuan and others to meet him with him. Sushun originally wanted to prevent Yima from seeing the queen mothers of the two palaces, but he took the initiative to invite him and smiled: Lao Liu, you and the two palaces' uncles and sisters, why should my generation be with me. In this way, Yi Ma successfully met the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces.
The empress dowagers of the two palaces cried to Yiyao and complained that Sushun and others were arrogant and domineering, regardless of the courtesy of the officials, and asked Yiyao to try to destroy him. Hearing the empress dowagers of the two palaces said this, it was similar to his previous guess, Yi Ma knew in his heart. He said calmly: If you want to start, you must return to Beijing. The capital has already been deployed, and there is no objection from foreign countries. Please rest assured.
Yi Hao stayed in Jehol for a few days. During this period, the Sushun Group continued to track and explore, but Yi Hao resolved it. Through observations over the past few days, Yi Hao knows that the eight ministers of Zanxiang government have Sushun, Duanhua, and Zaiyuan as the core figures, Mu Yin and Du Han are key members, Kuang Yuan and Jiao Youying have been bought by Sushun, and only the rest are My brother-in-law’s Jingshou can be won.
Yi Hao asked the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces to discuss with Sushun about returning to Beijing as soon as possible. Soon after, Yi Hao left Rehe and returned to the capital.
The coup succeeded in one fell swoop
Yi Hao's impeccable performance in Jehol Palace made Sushun Group relax its vigilance. After confirming that the capital is safe, Sushun decided to return to Beijing. The empress dowagers of the two palaces planned to return to Beijing with the emperor on the grounds that the boats and cars were tired. The Sushun faction Duanhua and Zaiyuan escorted the empress dowager and the emperor of the two palaces back to Beijing first, and he escorted the Emperor Xianfeng's Zi Gong at the back. Yi Hao arranged for Prince Rui and King Jinjun to accompany Sushun, actually to monitor him.
A few days later, the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces and the emperor arrived at the Imperial Palace smoothly. Yi Ma and the Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces stated their arrangements in Beijing, and the Queen Mothers of the Two Palaces were completely relieved. The day after returning to the palace, the queen mothers of the two palaces and the emperor formally summoned the court ministers such as Prince Gong Yicheng, Zhou Zupei, Guiliang, Jia Zhen, Wen Xiang, etc., crying to them about how Sushun, Duanhua, Zaiyuan and others bullied them. The ministers demanded their punishment.
The Empress Dowagers of the Two Palaces took the opportunity to come up with the decree that had already been drawn up and declare the charges against Sushun and others. At this moment, Duan Hua and Zai Yuan entered the palace and saw that the queen mothers of the two palaces were summoning the ministers, not knowing what had happened. Yima took the opportunity to read the decree again, and then ordered the guards to arrest Duanhua and Zaiyuan and imprison the clan residence. At the same time, Yi Ma sent people to quickly notify Prince Rui and Prince Jinjun who were monitoring Sushun, and ordered them to capture Sushun by camera. In this way, the eight great ministers of life, Zaiyuan, Duanhua, Jingshou,Sushun, Mu Yin, Kuang Yuan, Du Han, and Jiao Youying were all dismissed and sent to prison.
After the problem of Sushun and others was resolved, Yi Hao took the lead, and the officials asked the Queen Mothers of the two palaces to listen to politics on the grounds that the emperor was young. Later, in the name of the emperor, the empress dowagers of the two palaces awarded Prince Gong with the title of King of Political Affairs and was in charge of the Military Aircraft Department. The military and political power of the country was officially transferred to the hands of Prince Gong, Prince Gong Yimao.
Disposing of political enemies with lenient and strict measures
According to the regulations of the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu aristocracy enjoys privileges, and the clan members commit crimes without the death penalty. If they are tried normally, Zaiyuan, Duanhua, and Sushun will not be convicted of death because they are clan families, especially if Zaiyuan, Duanhua are "iron hat kings". However, Cixi and Sushun had a deep grudge, and Yima was also afraid of endless troubles, so they reached a consensus: Zaiyuan, Duanhua and Sushun must die.
Yi Hao announced the six major crimes of Sushun and others, sentenced Zaiyuan, Duanhua and Sushun to a decisive decision, and Jingshou, Mu Yin, Kuangyuan, Du Han, and Jiao Youying were accomplices. The death penalty is waived and the crime is alive. No escape, either dismissal or exile.
Later, the emperor Jiaen gave life to Yuan, Duanhua committed suicide, and Sushun introduced Caishikou beheading. According to legend, on the day Sushun was enforced, the court was crowded with people. When Sushun’s prison car passed through the crowd, I don’t know who shouted: Sushun has today? Suddenly, people became excited, and Sushun's white and fat face was smashed into blood.
After disposing of the eight ministers of Gu Ming, Yi Mao continued to purge the party, and the key members of the party were dismissed or exiled. The officials who had contacts with Sushun, Yiyao will not be held accountable. Yi Hao didn't want to magnify the problem. After all, Su Shun had been in power for many years, and his students were all over the country. If the situation is expanded, everyone will be in danger at that time, which will be detrimental to the stability of the situation.
So the Military Aircraft Department destroyed all the accounts and letters from Sushun’s home in front of everyone, and the disposal of the Sushun Group came to an end.
After the "Xinyou Coup", the Qing dynasty implemented a system of co-existence of the government and the king, and finally the two factions of the anti-Sushun clique divided power. One was the Queen Mother Party headed by Cixi, and the other was headed by Prince Gong. The Gong Party, the Qing Dynasty entered a new era.
