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 Yinreng. In the ensuing struggle after Yinreng is removed for a second time as Crown Prince, the Kangxi Emperor scolds Yinsi for vying for the throne, and orders Yinxiang to be imprisoned. The Kangxi Emperor then appoints Yinti as border pacification general-in-chief. As the ailing Kangxi Emperor lays on his deathbed, he assembles seven of his sons to his deathbed, including Yinsi and Yinzhen. Prior to their father's death, Yinzhen releases Yinxiang from captivity and sends him to take control of Fengtai Commandery on the outskirts of Beijing. The Kangxi Emperor speaks to Yinzhen in private, telling him he intends to pass on the throne to him, then dies. Longkodo reads the Kangxi Emperor's final edict and declares Yinzhen the new Emperor. The Yongzheng Emperor's rule was seen as authoritarian and vigorous, but efficient. Upon ascending the throne, he made Yinsi 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 advisers, including Nian Gengyao and Longkodo. Both Nian and Longkodo eventually fall out of the emperor's favour. The emperor'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, the Yongzheng Emperor forces another of his sons, Hongshi, to commit suicide so as to prevent Hongshi from fighting with Hongli for the throne.