Yunreng

Yunreng (6 June 1674 – 27 January 1725), born Yinreng, was a Manchu prince of the Qing dynasty. He was the second surviving son of the Kangxi Emperor and was designated as Crown Prince for two separate terms before being deposed. Posthumously, he was granted the title of Prince Limi of the First Rank.

Yinreng was born into the Manchu Aisin Gioro clan as the seventh son of the Kangxi Emperor. His mother was Empress Xiaochengren of the Hešeri clan, the first empress of Kangxi and a granddaughter of Sonin, one of the regents during Kangxi’s early reign. Yinreng’s mother died shortly after his birth, a loss mourned publicly by the Kangxi Emperor.

The Kangxi Emperor personally instructed Yinreng in reading and appointed him Crown Prince when he was approximately one year old. Under the guidance of scholarly officials, Yinreng developed proficiency in both Chinese and Manchu languages. During the emperor’s military campaigns against Galdan Khan of the Zunghar Khanate in 1696–1697, Yinreng served as regent in Beijing during Kangxi’s absences. Despite facing scandals and accusations of immorality, Yinreng retained the emperor’s favor during this period and resided in the Western Gardens of Beijing.

In 1703, a series of political events affected Yinreng's standing. His granduncle, Songgotu, was convicted of attempting to assassinate the Kangxi Emperor and died shortly afterwards, which contributed to Yinreng’s decline in favor. In 1708, during a hunting expedition in Rehe, the Kangxi Emperor accused Yinreng of immorality, sexual misconduct, usurpation, and treason. As a result, Yinreng was stripped of his position as Crown Prince and imprisoned. Subsequently, the emperor learned that Yinzhi, the First Prince, had employed lamas to cast spells on Yinreng. This led to Yinreng’s pardon and reinstatement as Crown Prince in 1709.

Over the subsequent years, the Kangxi Emperor became convinced that Yinreng was mentally ill. He was deposed again in 1712 and confined permanently. In 1722, upon the death of the Kangxi Emperor, his fourth son, Yinzhen, ascended the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor. To avoid naming taboo conflicts, Yinreng changed his name to Yunreng, as the character for "Yin" (胤) was shared with Yinzhen’s personal name. Yunreng died in 1725 while still in confinement. Posthumously, he was honored with the title Prince Limi of the First Rank.

Yunreng’s family included multiple consorts and children, with primary consort titles associated with the Gūwalgiya clan and secondary consorts from various Manchu clans such as Ligiya, Lingiya, Tanggiya, Cenggiya, and Wanyan. His daughters and sons held various noble titles, and he fathered several children who married into different Manchu clans or different noble families.

Yunreng’s life has been depicted in various works of popular culture, with portrayals in television dramas and series such as Yongzheng Dynasty (1999), Palace (2011), Scarlet Heart (2011), The Palace (2013), Gilded Chopsticks (2014), Love In The Imperial Palace (2017), and Dreaming Back To Qing Dynasty (2019).

He was recognized posthumously as Prince Limi of the First Rank and remains a historical figure associated with the internal politics and succession disputes of the Qing dynasty during the reign of Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors.