Prince Gong

Common card · No. 249846

Yixin (11 January 1833 – 29 May 1898), better known in English as Prince Gong or Kung, was an imperial prince of the Aisin Gioro clan and an important statesman of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in China. He was a regent of the empire from 1861 to 1865 and wielded great influence at other times as well. He was one of the twelve iron cap princes of the Qing Dynasty. Yixin was a man of great talent, excelling in both literature and martial skills, and was among the most capable members of the imperial family. However, he was never favored by his father, the Daoguang Emperor, to succeed to the throne, which meant he spent his life in the role of a political aide rather than a ruler. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, when the British and French forces invaded Beijing, Yixin was entrusted with negotiating peace and signed the Convention of Beijing on behalf of the Qing court. In 1861, after the death of his elder brother, the Xianfeng Emperor, Yixin, in collaboration with Empress Dowager Cixi...

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