Being a diligent emperor is not easy.
Seeing the living and sleeping habits of Emperor Yongzheng, we can understand his daily routine.
It is really 996, even more than 996:
Get up at 3 a.m., wash, and pay respects to the empress dowager;
From 3 to 5 a.m., the first morning court, discuss state affairs with the military minister;
From 5 to 7 a.m., the second morning court, summon civil and military officials;
At 7 a.m., breakfast, handle government affairs, and review memorials;
From 11 to 2 p.m., eat, read, shoot volleys, and
Check the princes' studies.
From 2 to 5 p.m., work and handle government affairs;
From 5 to 9 p.m., worship the gods and meet with ministers alone;
From 9 to 11 p.m., review memorials and write articles.
Sure enough, he was the most diligent emperor in history, sleeping only 4 hours a day and resting only three days a year.
Such high-intensity work made his body unable to bear the load. He ascended the throne at the age of 45 and died at the age of 58.
After Yongzheng's death, he left Qianlong with nearly 60 million taels of silver and a country with highly centralized imperial power.
You see, even for a powerful emperor, it is not easy to do one thing well.