The mystery of life and death in Yongzheng

Years are long, and things are different. However, the green hills and cypresses in the royal cemetery cannot hide a series of historical mysteries. Yongzheng, the first emperor of the Qing Dynasty who was buried in Qing Xiling, Yixian County, Hebei Province, succeeded city by the sea. His harsh policies made people talk about it, and his sudden death left a mystery for future generations.

With regard to the death of Yongzheng, the records of Yongzheng Asahi, the archives of the Qing Dynasty that we consulted, recorded the situation a few days before his death: it was August of the 13th year of Yongzheng (1735), when Yong Zhengdi, 58, lived in Yuanmingyuan and worked with him on the 18th.

The minister in charge of ethnic affairs discussed and summoned several local officials of Ningguta on the 20th, and still worked as usual on February1day, indicating that he was in good health at this time. On the 22nd, Yongzheng suddenly fell ill. In the evening, the courtiers were hurried into the bedroom. Yongzheng, who was dying, announced his transfer to Qianlong. The next day, 58-year-old Yongzheng swallowed his last breath in Yuanmingyuan.

The palace archives only recorded the sudden death of Yongzheng so briefly, and did not explain any reason. This is easy to arouse people's speculation, so various theories of Yongzheng's natural death came into being.

The most popular folk saying is that there was a strong-willed woman named Lv Siniang, whose grandfather and father were both killed by Yongzheng because of the literary inquisition. In order to avenge her dead father, Lv Siniang practiced martial arts and became a famous chivalrous woman. She found an opportunity to sneak into Yuanmingyuan and cut off Yongzheng's head with a sword. Therefore, when Yongzheng was buried, a golden head should be cast to replace Yongzheng's head.

There is another saying that is even more surprising. It is said that Cao Xueqin, the author of A Dream of Red Mansions, has a lover named Joo Sang wook, who is the embodiment of Lin Daiyu. This Joo Sang wook was later captured by Yongzheng and became a queen. Cao Xueqin missed his lover, so he managed to find a job to sneak into the palace, and finally colluded with Joo Sang wook to poison Yongzheng with poison.

There is also a rumor in unofficial history that maids colluded with eunuchs and strangled Yongzheng with ropes.

Here are three stories about the death of Yongzheng, all of which are legendary. Because of the legend, people always talk about it after dinner, which is fascinating. However, these can only be regarded as folklore, not historical facts. To be sure, these statements are not credible.

What was the cause of death of Yongzheng? Some historians believe that Yongzheng died of a sudden stroke. Although the inference is reasonable, it does not produce particularly convincing evidence.

So how did Yongzheng die? With the excavation and research of Qing Palace archives, more and more historians believe that Yongzheng is extremely likely to be poisoned by taking Dan medicine. Next, it depends on whether the Taoist alchemist furnace can uncover the mystery of Yongzheng's sudden death.

Since ancient times, emperors who fantasize about immortality have been obsessed with the great elixir. From Qin Shihuang's sending people to the sea to seek medicine, to Liang Wudi's ordering alchemist Li and Luan Da to refine the "immortal" gold vessels; From Cao Cao in the Three Kingdoms, to Zuo Ci and other alchemists in the world, and then to the death of Ai Di in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. From the appointment of Pan Dan, a Taoist priest of Gaosong by Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty, to Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, he took the elixir of the ancient Indian alchemist, which was "violent"; From summoning Su to ask about "the secret of keeping in good health" to Ming Xianzong, Dan indulged in "anger and injury" and died suddenly ... The feudal emperors of all dynasties were possessed by Taoist Dan, laughing and cursing. Yongzheng in the Qing Dynasty belonged to China.

The last favorite Taoist in ancient history, the emperor obsessed with Dan medicine.

Yongzheng likes alchemy for a long time. When he was a prince, he became interested in Dan medicine. At that time, he wrote a poem entitled "Burning Dan":

Draw sand into medicine, pine and cypress around the cloud altar.

The furnace contains yin and yang fire, both inside and outside.

This poem contains lead sand, fire, smoke and merit inside and outside, just like a vivid picture of an alchemist. It can be seen that Yongzheng had some understanding and research on alchemy in his early years.

The alchemy mentioned here is a practice of seeking immortality in Taoism. Strictly speaking, Dan has internal and external points. External elixir refers to the so-called elixir that is made of natural mineral stone medicine and burned in a furnace after taking it to make it immortal. In the history of alchemists, there was a Jinsha school that advocated refining and eating gold cinnabar; There is a school of lead and mercury, which advocates taking lead and mercury as the most valuable drugs; There is also a school of sulfur and mercury, which says that sulfur and mercury combine to seek God's elixir of life. Inner elixir means that essence, qi and spirit are condensed in the body through internal refining to form elixir, so as to achieve the purpose of health and longevity. Yongzheng's life has forged an indissoluble bond with the elixir.

After Yongzheng ascended the throne, he praised Zhang Boduan, the founder of Nanzong at that time, calling him "the real Zen Immortal Ziyang" and ordered to build a Taoist temple in Zhang Boduan's hometown. According to the inscription of Ziyang Taoist Temple, Yongzheng especially praised "real person" Zhang Boduan for "inventing the essence of elixir".

At the latest, from the 4th year of Yongzheng (1726), Yong Zhengdi often ate a kind of Dan medicine called "Ji Ji Dan". He found it effective after taking it, and gave it as a special gift to E Ertai, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, and Tian Wenjing, governor of Hedong. In one of Tian Wenjing's memorials, Yongzheng wrote with a cinnabar pen: "This elixir is exquisite and its efficacy is very different. Take it boldly, don't doubt it. This is a good medicine. I know best. " Yongzheng undoubtedly advised his minions to eat the royal elixir, because he "knows elixir best". This shows that Yongzheng attached great importance to the study of the medicinal properties of Dan medicine and was convinced of the Dan medicine he took. It should be noted that the "Ji" eaten by Yongzheng at this time was refined by an alchemist outside, and there was no direct alchemy activity in the Qing palace during this period.

In the spring of the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), Yong Zhengdi was seriously ill. In order to cure the disease, Yongzheng ordered hundreds of officials at home and abroad to visit famous doctors and skilled magicians on a large scale. To this end, he sent a large number of local senior officials such as Tian Wenjing, Governor of Hedong, Li Wei, Governor of Zhejiang, Governor of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, Governor of Sichuan and Shaanxi, Governor of Shanxi, Governor of Fujian, etc.

The contents of Zhu Yu in Yongzheng calligraphy are as follows:

You can pay attention to visiting good doctors in internal medicine and surgery, people with deep cultivation, or Taoist priests, or Confucian laymen who preach. If I have the opportunity to visit, I will make a detour to enlighten you and let you enjoy it from all directions. I can't help it. While I give you a generous gift to settle in your home, I listen to it and send it to Beijing with preferential treatment, which is useful. I tried my best to ask for it for me. Don't worry in advance, so recommend it to non-people. I don't blame it. I have my own way to try. If you have heard of people from other provinces, you can quickly secretly type their names and origins, and then I will call the governor to visit. It can't be regarded as a literary career. I can pay attention to asking questions, visiting extensively and expressing my intentions. Be careful!

The central meaning of Yongzheng's secret order is to let government officials find Taoist magicians who can cultivate self-cultivation for the emperor. To this end, Yongzheng asked local officials: first, it must be regarded as an important job, and it must be "careful", and it must never be regarded as a thing that can be done or not; Second, once you visit someone who has been deeply ploughed, you should make generous arrangements for their families and escort them to Beijing; Third, despite dispelling concerns, even if the recommended person is not very suitable, he will not be accused; Fourth, if you hear something that is not available locally, you should also report it. Finally, Yongzheng warned that this matter is top secret and must be "cautious."

We don't know how many copies of this unusual secret telegram Yongzheng wrote at that time and how many people he sent it to. Today, however, there are 9 books in the First Historical Archives of China and 6 books in the Palace Museum. Each of these fifteen Zhu Yu books has exactly the same content, word for word. If in normal times, the letters sent to local officials, if the content and text are the same, are written by caring ministers. Only this secret imperial edict was written by Yongzheng with cinnabar one by one, and it was very neat, which shows Yongzheng's prudence and attention to this matter.

Since the emperor attached so much importance to it, he repeatedly told his courtiers to "be cautious and ask and visit widely" and "not be regarded as engaging in literature". Who dares to neglect courtiers? As soon as Yongzheng received Zhu Yu, local officials immediately launched a search operation. Soon, Sichuan Governor Xiande wrote a passbook report, saying that there was a local man named Gong Lun, named Gong Renxian, who had the skill of immortality. He is eighty-six, and his concubine gave birth to a son. Yongzheng immediately ordered him to come to the palace, but at this moment, the immortal Gong ascended to heaven and died.

Yongzheng naturally felt very sorry for not seeing the palace. But he was unwilling, and ordered Xiande, the governor of Sichuan, to conduct a secret investigation to see if the son of Gong got any "secret biography" from his father. Xiande then went to visit secretly, and as a result, several sons said that they had never received the secret biography of their father. Perhaps it was Gong Lun's descendants who thought it was very important. If something goes wrong, they will lose their lives, so they are afraid to call. Later, it was proved that Gong Lun's son was extremely clever, and Jia Shifang, a Taoist priest from Henan Province, was called into the palace and died.

How did Jia Shifang enter the palace? That's Li Wei, the governor of Zhejiang Province. The day after he received the order to meet the Taoist priest, he wrote a passbook and reported to Yongzheng that there was a Taoist priest named Jia Shifang wandering in Henan, known as the "immortal", and recommended him to go to Beijing to treat the emperor. This Jia Shifang, who was originally a Taoist in Beijing Baiyun Temple, later lived in Henan and became famous.

Yongzheng saw Li Jue's report and immediately ordered Tian Wenjing, the governor of Hedong, who was in charge of the government affairs of Henan and Shandong provinces, to send someone to send Jia Shi.

Fang went to Beijing. Jia arrived at the palace in July in the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730) and began to treat the emperor, which was quite effective. In this regard, Yongzheng was very happy and said to E Ertai, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, "I bow against peace and make Jia Shifang's adjustment effective." On the sixth day of September, Li Wei wrote a secret letter, and Yongzheng also praised Li Wei's meritorious recommendation to Taoist Jia, criticizing: "I am safe and sound, and I have fully recovered. The reason why I can feel at ease is because of the efforts of the scholar Jia recommended by Qing. " As a result, Jia Shifang changed from a wild Taoist priest to a "stranger" favored by the son of heaven, and his worth increased sharply by a hundredfold.

However, a companion is like a tiger. Just worked for more than a month, that is, in September this year, Yongzheng suddenly went to prison with Taoist Jia Shifang. There have been different opinions about Jia Shifang's conviction. Now, the original archives of the Forbidden City provide us with new proof. In the archives of the Qing Dynasty, there is an imperial edict personally revised by Yongzheng, which was promulgated in September of the eighth year of Yongzheng after textual research. In this imperial edict, Yongzheng bluntly said: Jia Shifang's "massage technique" and "secret spell method" were indeed "effective" at first. But "since January, although my bow has recovered greatly, between life and sleep, I (referring to Jia Shifang) want to make peace and make it uncomfortable." "I am safe and uneasy, and I want to handle it myself. If I can't get out. " Yongzheng further reprimanded Jia Shifang for "openly using witchcraft, saying that it could be applied to me." After reading this imperial edict, we naturally know the truth of Jia Shifang's conviction. It turns out that this Taoist used magical techniques such as "massage" and "secret spell" to gradually control Yongzheng's body, making him comfortable and uncomfortable is really uncomfortable. You are the son of heaven, how can you be pushed around? As soon as Yongzheng realized that his well-being was manipulated by Jia Daochang, he felt that the problem was serious. He immediately dealt with the matter and immediately ordered Jia Daochang to be beheaded, accusing Jia Shifang of using witchcraft in front of me.

After Jia Shifang's case, Yongzheng tried his best to excuse Li Jue, saying that Li Jue had declared that he didn't know all the ins and outs of Jia when he recommended him, but only reported what he saw and heard, and there was no hidden loyalty, so he could only reward him without fault. This reassured the ministers who have recommended and will recommend Taoist priests.

Although Jia Shifang's head was cut off, Yongzheng did not lose his trust in Taoist priests. According to the records of the Qing Palace, Yong Zhengdi took part in Taoist activities very frequently from his illness in the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730) to his death five years later. In the palace, besides the Qin 'an Hall, which specializes in Taoist activities, Yongzheng also asked Taoist priests to place Taoist memorial tablets in the main palaces such as the Hall of Supreme Harmony and Gan Qing Palace, and install a bucket altar in their bedroom, hall of mental cultivation, to protect Taoist gods. Yongzheng made silk and satin vestments for Taoist priests in Suzhou, 60 pieces at a time for practical purposes. Today, the Palace Museum in Beijing still keeps a portrait of Yongzheng wearing Taoist costumes.

Yongzheng even built several houses in the imperial garden for Taoist Lou Jinyuan and others to live in, so as to ask these monks to pray and practice at any time. In this regard, in the ninth year of Yongzheng (173 1), Wang Hai, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, received an imperial edict on the 27th day of the first month, which clearly stated: "In my opinion, if it is not appropriate to set up a bucket altar in the back garden, it is better to set up a pavilion bucket altar in the back building ... There is an open space in the east of Yuting, and after surveying the terrain, several smaller rooms will be added for the judges to live in. The back garden here is the imperial garden of the Forbidden City. In the past, although there were many places for Buddhism and Taoism in the palace, unpurified monks and Taoists in Shan Ye were not allowed to live in Oi, except those who acted as eunuchs. Now, for the first time in history, Yongzheng's decree has built several rooms "for judges to live in" on the east side of the jade pavilion in the imperial garden.

Detailed archives show that Yongzheng not only made unannounced visits to Taoist priests nationwide, but also made friends with Taoist priests in the palace. Although these Taoist priests have different formulas, they all belong to "people who practice health" and all aim at "treating diseases and exorcising evil spirits" for Yongzheng. Among them are Jia Shifang, who chanted and massaged, Lou Jinyuan, who set up an altar to pray for blessings, and Zhang Taixu and Wang Dinggan, who are going to talk about the theory of refining fire below.

Just when Yongzheng and the Taoist priest were on the hot side, the imperial garden Yuanmingyuan began to make an alchemy!

The emperor's alchemy, of course, is a top secret event, and the official history cannot be recorded. However, some clues are still revealed in the secret archives of the Qing palace. The working archives that record the daily necessities of the palace reveal some information about Yongzheng alchemy. The earliest relevant records appeared in the winter work files of the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), of which 1 1 month 1 copy,1February 3 copies. These four files reveal to people that at the end of the eighth year of Yongzheng, in Xiu Qing Village, the southeast corner of Yuanmingyuan,

Under the management of Liu, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the ambassador of Taiyuan Institute, more than 4,000 Jin of firewood and coal were brought in successively, and minerals such as silver were used as an alchemist for Yongzheng.

Now, let's take a look at what these files about Yongzheng alchemy have recorded-

First of all:

1 1 month 17, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the ambassador of Taiyuan Institute Liu interpreted at the same time: Sang Mu 1500 kg and white charcoal 100 kg were used in Yuanmingyuan Village. Remember this.

Second:

On the seventh day of December, Liu, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the ambassador of Taiyuan Institute, told me that the iron brazier cover was used in Yuanmingyuan Village, with a diameter of one foot eight inches and a height of one foot five inches. Red furnace charcoal is 200 Jin. Remember this.

Third:

1February 15, Liu, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the ambassador of Taiyuan Institute, and Li Jinzhong, the four deacons, interpreted at the same time: Yuanmingyuan Village used silver 120 liang, black charcoal 100 jin, and good coal 200 jin. Remember this.

Fourth:

1February 22nd, Hai Wang, the general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Li Jinzhong, the deacon of four deacons, said: Xiu Qing Village in Yuanmingyuan has 1000 kg of white charcoal, and 1000 kg of slag coal is exchanged for silver. Remember this.

Yongzheng Dynasty Work Archives The archives disclosed here can tell us whether Yong Zhengdi is really an alchemist? In order to answer this question, we will do some concrete analysis on these four documents. First of all, the delivery place is Xiu Qing Village, which is located in the southeast corner of Yuanmingyuan, with water in front and mountains behind. It is very secluded and a good place for secret activities. Second, in more than a month's time, what is the purpose of transporting more than 4,400 kilograms of firewood coal to this small place? Is it used for cooking or heating? None of this is possible. Because in the Qing Dynasty, firewood and coal used for heating and preparing meals in the palace were always rationed, and special account books were set up, which were never recorded in the secret files of the work files. Third, it is worth noting that in addition to Yongzheng's confidant, there is Liu who is in charge of the emperor's medical care. Fourthly, more importantly, the words "mine silver" and "silver" obviously appear on the articles shipped to Xiu Qing Village. All these can be inferred that from the end of the eighth year of Yongzheng (1730), Yong Zhengdi began to make an alchemy in Xiu Qing Village of Yuanmingyuan.

As soon as the furnace of Yongzheng Dan was opened, the burning fire did not go out. From the 9th to 13th year of Yongzheng (1731-1735), there are more and more records about Yongzheng's alchemy. For example, in the 9th and 10th years of Yongzheng, Nanxun Hall merged with Tousuo, 4th, 6th and Xiushan Hall of Yuanmingyuan, 11th year of Yongzheng, 12th and 13th years of Yongzheng. According to the records of the Qing Palace Office of the Interior, during the five years from November 8th to August 13th, Yongzheng sent items needed for alchemy to Yuanmingyuan 157 times, two or three times a month on average. Over time, * * * owns 0/92 tons of black coal/kloc-and 42 tons of charcoal, in addition to a large number of iron, copper and lead utensils, as well as mineral products such as silver, copper, black lead and sulfur, as well as a large number of clothes and wooden frames, yellow silk paste wooden pallet, yellow cloth (silk) table circumference, yellow cloth (silk) empty list and other items. All these items are essential for alchemical activities. It is conceivable that under the will of Yongzheng, hundreds of tons of coal were transported into the palace. For years, the fire never went out, and the alchemy never stopped, making a beautiful Yuanmingyuan smoky!

In Yuanmingyuan, there are mainly Taoist priests who make an alchemy for Yongzheng, such as Zhang Taixu and Wang Dinggan. They all know a set of methods of "practicing health" and have a good study of "fire refining theory". These Taoist priests did not live up to Yongzheng's expectations, and really refined furnace after furnace of elixir.

Yongzheng ate the Dan medicine refined by the Taoist priest and felt good. He also rewarded some generals and some ministers who went to war. The word "Yao Dan" was clearly recorded in the secret archives of the Qing Dynasty. According to the work files of the Qing Palace, in March and April of the twelfth year of Yongzheng, Yong Zhengdi issued "Dan medicine" twice. The details are recorded separately like this-

One:

On March 2 1 day, a post from Yuanmingyuan said that Hai Wang, the minister in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, handed over four boxes of Dan medicine, conveying the will of Yongzheng, and gave them to acting general Chalang, lieutenant Zhang Guangsi, counselor Mu Deng and magistrate Fan Ting respectively. Accordingly, four days later, that is, on the 25th of that month, four copies of Dan medicine were respectively provided with a Chinese fir box, a black felt bag and a cotton pad, and were handed over to Mrs. Bai Tang Abalain by Zhao Yatu, the leader.

Second:

On the first day of April, a post from Yuanmingyuan said that Baoshan, the director of the commission office, sent a message and Wang Hai, the chief minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, handed a box of Dan medicine. Yongzheng's will was to match a more exquisite box and give it to Danai, the minister of rank. So, on the fourth day of that month, I made a Chinese fir box, wrapped it in black felt and gave it to Mrs. Bertrand Abalone.

These two documents directly use the word "Dan Yao". Moreover, the time of Yongzheng's decree, who to reward this Dan medicine, and how to package it are all clearly written. It is particularly important to note that the wills of these two awards were conveyed by a post published by Yuanmingyuan and handed over by Hai Wang, general manager of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It can be seen that these royal "elixirs" are all extracted from the royal alchemy point in Yuanmingyuan.

There is an old saying in China, "Seeking immortality by food is mostly caused by medicine." Throughout ancient history, the tragedy of Fu Dan's death has been repeated in the royal family. It is this desire for immortality that leads to poisoning and early death. According to the author's research statistics, fifteen or six emperors in ancient China died of Dan medicine poisoning. Like Emperor Ai of Jin, Emperor Taizong and Emperor Renzong of Ming Dynasty, they were all poisoned by longevity pills. It turns out that the so-called elixir of life is "pregnant with great poison", because minerals such as lead, mercury, sulfur and arsenic used in alchemy all contain toxins, which are quite harmful to the five internal organs of the human brain. In modern life, one of the main tasks of environmental protection is to strictly control and try to reduce the content of these substances in the carrier of life. From this perspective, the immortal elixir is no different from the poison that harms people. Yongzheng certainly did not escape the death of erysipelas.

Historians have always held this view on the speculation that Yongzheng died of Dan medicine poisoning. Many Qing historians at home and abroad believe that Yongzheng believed that Taoist immortals were most likely poisoned by taking Dan medicine. "History of the Qing Emperor" contains: "Only Sejong collapsed, saying that it was caused by practicing bait pills, or there were reasons." In recent years, with the in-depth study of Yongzheng, the theory of taking Dan by Yongzheng has been paid more and more attention and recognition by historians. American scholar A.W. Arthur William pointed out in the 1940s: "Yin Zhen believed in Taoism about immortality, so he took various drugs. It was these drugs that caused his death. " Yang, an overseas scholar, concluded after a long argument that Yongzheng was "poisoned by bait and Dan medicine" in Fengerkang County.

Students think that Yongzheng "died of Dan medicine poisoning, which is quite reasonable." Yang Naiji put forward circumstantial evidence that "Yong Zhengdi died of Dan medicine poisoning". Now, the archives of Yongzheng alchemy have been further excavated. Judging from Yongzheng's call for Taoist alchemy, giving Dan to ministers at home and abroad, and saying that he ate Dan, Yongzheng really probably ate Dan to death. He took Dan medicine all the year round, and the toxic components accumulated in the body for a long time, which eventually led to sudden death, which is very likely.

It is worth noting that according to the work file, just before Yongzheng's death 12 days, 200 Jin of black lead was transported into Yuanmingyuan. File records: On the ninth day of August, Chen Jiuqing, the eunuch in charge, and Wang Shougui, the eunuch in charge, came to the news together. The cow tongue used in Yuanmingyuan No.2 was 200 kg of black lead. On the same day, the 200 kilograms of black lead was transported to the garden.

Black lead is a common raw material for an alchemist, and it is also a toxic metal. Excessive intake can cause death. On the ninth day of August, 200 Jin of black lead was transported into Yuanmingyuan, and Yongzheng died suddenly in the garden twelve days later. Historians who study this problem believe that this is not an accidental coincidence, but a causal Dan medicine poisoning incident. This possibility is not without.

Scholars who study the cause of death of Yongzheng have generally noticed that there are many flaws in the handling of foreign scholars by Qianlong.

One of the doubts: the day after Yongzheng's death, Qianlong, who had just acceded to the throne, ordered the expulsion of alchemists Zhang Taixu and Wang Dinggan. If it weren't for the terrible disaster they caused, why did Qianlong get angry with the two little monks and issue an imperial edict when everything was waiting for him?

Doubt 2: In this imperial edict, Gan Long emphasized that it was true that Yongzheng liked "fire ploughing", but it was just a "game" and he didn't take Dan medicine. If you really didn't take Dan medicine, what makes you excuse yourself? Isn't this to inform that there is no silver here?

Doubt 3: On the same day that the Taoist priest was ordered to be expelled, Qianlong also warned the eunuchs and maids in the palace not to spread "gossip" indiscriminately, so as not to make the Empress Dowager unhappy. Yongzheng just died, what's the "scandal"? Why did Empress Dowager Cixi listen to Upset? And why can't you tell people "legends"?

All these can't help but make people speculate that Yongzheng died of Dan medicine poisoning and alchemy.

People who like to get to the bottom of it may ask, if Yongzheng really died of taking Dan medicine, then the alchemist and Taoist priest are of course guilty of beheading, but why did Qianlong just drive them away? In this regard, researchers have emphasized in the past that Gan Long did this mainly because it was not suitable for killing people during mourning. In the process of writing the book "The Emperor and the Alchemist", the author found that almost the same incident happened in history, which may explain some problems and give us some enlightenment. According to Hao Chuan, the book of the Old Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong "took the longevity medicine from the monk Hu, and then died of a sudden illness." "The debater blamed the Hu people and killed Shen Xian, but he dared not make fun of Yi Di, so the law did not follow." On this basis, Emperor Taizong took the pills of the ancient Indian alchemist and died suddenly. At that time, the minister of the DPRK wanted to behead the conference semifinals known as Rona's concubine, but Tang Gaozong, who had just ascended the throne, was worried that it would spread to the world and make people laugh, so he "returned" the Indian alchemist.

We don't know if Qianlong saw this passage and was inspired, but he "expelled" the Taoist priest who was an alchemist in Yongzheng, just like the monk Hu who was "released" in the Tang Dynasty to kill Emperor Taizong. Is it just a coincidence? The so-called empathy, empathy. In this case, the first emperor put Dan to death, but the new emperor didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill and drove the alchemist away. In this respect, the methods used by Qianlong and Tang Gaozong are exactly the same. From this point of view, it is not surprising that there are examples to follow in Qianlong's criticism of Zhang Taixu and others. And can this recurring historical phenomenon, in turn, "prove" that Yongzheng died like Emperor Taizong?

Having said that, we can see from a secret file hidden in Ouchi that Yongzheng is an emperor who likes alchemy and often takes Dan medicine. His sudden death may be due to 200 kilograms of black lead transported into Yuanmingyuan ten days before his death, and it is more likely that he took Dan medicine all the year round, and the toxic components accumulated in the body for a long time and eventually broke out. In a word, it is generally credible that Yongzheng died of Dan medicine poisoning from all aspects. Then, when the Tailing Mausoleum buried by Yongzheng is opened one day in the future, the laboratory study of its remains may further confirm whether Yongzheng died of a panacea. At that time, you can also see if Yongzheng lying in the underground palace has a head.