The Kangxi emperor at the Chinese New Year of 1722 celebrates his long and prosperous reign by inviting many elders to a great banquet at the court.

That winter he falls ill while staying at the imperial villa of Ch'ang ch'un yüan, in the northwestern outskirts of Peking, where on December 20 he dies.

Usually counted among the ablest monarchs ever to govern the vast Chinese empire, he had reigned for sixty-one years and laid the foundation for a long period of political stability and economic prosperity in China.

Yin-chen, as the fourth son of the previous emperor, is not immediately in line for the throne; but when the designated heir apparent became mentally deranged, the future Yongzheng emperor had seen an opportunity to seize the throne and began to intrigue against his brothers.

Several of the chronicles of the period allege that the Yongzheng emperor murdered his father.

In any case, he succeeds to the throne by having military support in Peking when his father dies.