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Before Game of Thrones, there was the Qing imperial court.A key questions at the end of the Kangxi Emperor’s extraordinary 61-year reign, a bitter struggle erupted among his sons over one question: Who would inherit the throne of China?
What followed became one of the most dramatic succession battles in Chinese history: the Nine Princes’ Battle for the Throne (九子夺嫡). Princes formed rival factions, cultivated powerful allies, plotted against their own brothers and manoeuvred for the favour of an ageing emperor. At the centre of the drama was the twice-deposed Crown Prince, surrounded by ambitious brothers who each believed they had a claim to the empire.
Who were the nine princes? Why did Kangxi’s carefully planned succession descend into chaos? How did the seemingly understated Fourth Prince Yinzhen ultimately outmanoeuvre his rivals to become the Yongzheng Emperor? And what should we make of the enduring rumours that he stole the throne by altering Kangxi’s will?
One throne. Nine princes. No room for brothers.
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Libray @ Chinatown, Singapore
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Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.