Early life

Yinxiang was born in the Aisin Gioro clan as the 13th son of the Kangxi Emperor. The emperor had some 55 recorded consorts. Yinxiang's mother, Consort Jing of the Janggiya (章佳) clan, was the daughter of the military commander Haikuan (海寬) from the Bordered Yellow Banner. By the same birth mother, Yinxiang had two sisters, both of whom were younger than him. Yinxiang's mother died when he was 14, so he was raised by Consort De, the biological mother of Yinzhen (the future Yongzheng Emperor). This meant that he had an especially close relationship to Yinzhen from a young age.

Yinxiang was schooled in the arts and classics by Fahai, the second son of Tong Guogang, the maternal uncle of the Kangxi Emperor. Fahai was also the imperial tutor to Yinti, the 14th prince who was born to the same mother as Yinzhen. Both of Yinxiang's sisters died young shortly after being named hesuo princess and wedded respectively to Mongol princes. Yinxiang was a favorite of Kangxi from a young age. He accompanied his father on four inspection tours to the south. However, in 1709 when Kangxi bestowed noble titles to his various sons, Yinxiang was not among the recipients; his younger brother Yinti, however, was named a beizi. There is no explanation given in primary sources as to why Yinxiang was not granted a title in spite of seemingly being a favourite of his father.

During the succession battle among Kangxi's sons, Yinxiang was imprisoned by the Kangxi Emperor for 10 years. The historical record makes nearly no mention of Yinxiang between 1712 and 1722. It seems like during these years he did not achieve anything remarkable, but did nonetheless conceive several children.

Yongzheng reign

When the Kangxi Emperor died in 1722, Yinzhen succeeded to the throne as the Yongzheng Emperor. In the same year, Yinxiang was granted the title "Prince Yi of the First Rank" (怡親王); this Prince Yi peerage was one of the Qing dynasty's 12 "iron-cap" princely peerages. His personal name was also changed to "Yunxiang" (允祥) to avoid naming taboo because the Chinese character for "Yin" (胤) in "Yinxiang" is the same as the one in the Yongzheng Emperor's personal name "Yinzhen" (胤禛).

Yunxiang was a staunch supporter of the Yongzheng Emperor, and he worked tirelessly to assist the emperor in administrating state affairs despite suffering from poor health. Soon after Yongzheng ascended the throne, Yinxiang was named overseer of the three vaults of the Ministry of Revenue. In 1725, Yunxiang was sent to oversee the water issues in Zhili Province, including flood control and transport. He was still constantly affected by ill health when he returned to Beijing later.

Yunxiang died in June 1730 and was granted the posthumous name of "Zhongjingchengzhiqinshenlianmingxian" (忠敬誠直勤慎廉明賢), so his full posthumous title became Prince Yizhongjingchengzhiqinshenlianmingxian of the First Rank (和碩怡忠敬誠直勤慎廉明賢親王). The Yongzheng Emperor praised Yunxiang in his eulogy edict and declared a mourning period of three days, during which imperial court sessions were not held. In the edict, the Yongzheng Emperor also granted an exception by allowing Yunxiang's name to be reverted to "Yinxiang".

Succession of Prince Yi

Prince Yi was elevated to an "iron-cap prince" level peerage, that is, the title was to be perpetually inheritable by his successors. Yinxiang's sixth generation descendant Zaiyuan was a regent during the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor and was ousted in a coup.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Primary consort, of the Joogiya clan

　• Princess of the Third Rank (; 1707 – 4 April 1726), second daughter

　　• Married Fusengge of the Manchu Irgen Gioro clan in February/March 1723

　• Hongdun, Prince of the Third Rank (; 29 January 1711 – 24 August 1728), third son

　• Hongjiao, Prince Ningliang of the Second Rank (; 17 June 1713 – 9 September 1764), fourth son

　• Princess Hehui of the Second Rank (; 16 November 1714 – 2 November 1731), fourth daughter

　　• Married Dorji Septeng (; d. 1735) of the Khalkha Borjigit clan on 6 December 1729

　• Hongkuang (; 30 January 1716 – 20 February 1722), fifth son

　• Hongxiao, Prince Yixi of the First Rank (; 23 May 1722 – 11 May 1778), seventh son

　• Shou'en (; 12 October 1725 – 27 August 1727), eighth son

• Secondary consort, of the Gūwalgiya clan

　• Princess of the Third Rank (; 1703 – 23 February 1776), first daughter

　　• Married Sakexin of the Jinjili clan in May/June 1721

　• Hongchang, Prince of the Third Rank (; 14 December 1706 – 3 June 1771), first son

• Secondary consort, of the Fuca clan

　• Third daughter (1710 – December 1711 or January 1712)

• Secondary consort, of the Usun clan

　• Hongqin, Prince of the Third Rank (; 24 September 1716 – 28 February 1729), sixth son

• Mistress, of the Šigiya clan

　• Second son (12 November 1708 – 30 March 1709)

• Mistress, of the Nara clan

　• Amuhulang (; 6 May 1726 – 5 May 1727), ninth son

Ancestry

In fiction and popular culture

• Portrayed by Zhou Haodong in Legend of YungChing (1997)

• Portrayed by Wang Hui in Yongzheng Dynasty (1999), Li Wei the Magistrate (2001) and Li Wei the Magistrate II (2004)

• Portrayed by Tian Zhenwei in Palace (2011)

• Portrayed by Yuan Hong in Scarlet Heart (2011)

• Portrayed by Chen Xiao in The Palace (2013)

• portrayed by Wang An Yu in Dreaming back to the Qing Dynasty (2019 series) (2019)

生平

康熙二十五年十月初一日出生。康熙二十八年，其母章佳氏與皇八子允禩之母衛氏一同晉為嬪級。康熙三十八年七月二十五日，其母章佳氏去世，被追封為敏妃，遺體被安放在景陵的琉璃花門之內。

康熙四十七年九月初四日，康熙帝在痛斥太子的滿文上諭中，同時提到對其黨羽的處置方法，稱「十三阿哥，朕另有處置」，與被正法的索額圖之子格爾芬、阿爾吉善等，以及被拴九條鐵索，於家中圈禁的馬齊之子富爾敦並列在一起。同年九月十八日，內務府向康熙帝詢問要如何處置皇太子處包衣大、飯茶上人，以及十三阿哥處飯茶上人時，得旨：「將包衣大、飯茶上人均行退去，交給他們各自的佐領、管領當差行走。」

胤祥後來跟隨胤禛（日後雍正帝），曾出任軍職，掌管駐京禁軍，為他其後的政績打下好基礎。

康熙六十一年（1722年），雍正帝登基，避帝諱改名允祥，被封為怡親王，尋命總理戶部三庫。雍正元年（1723年），命總理戶部。十一月，雍正諭，曰：「怡親王於皇考康熙時，敬謹廉潔，家計空乏，舉國皆知」。

雍正三年（1725年），三年服滿，以允祥總理事務謹慎忠誠，從優議敘複加封郡王，任允祥於他的所有兒子中指定一位加封為郡王，允祥固辭不敢承。同年八月，加俸銀萬。京畿被水，命往勘。四年七月，雍正親賜怡親王允祥御書「忠敬誠直勤慎廉明」榜。

雍正七年（1729年）六月，命允祥辦理西北兩路軍機。同年十月，雍正命增加儀仗一倍。十一月，允祥有疾。雍正八年（1730年）五月，允祥疾篤，雍正帝親臨視，及至，允祥已薨，雍正悲慟，為此輟朝三日。並到翌日，雍正親臨奠，諭曰：「允祥薨逝，中心悲慟，飲食無味，寢臥不安。允祥事朕八年如一日，自古無此公忠體國之賢王，朕待允祥亦（破例）宜在常例之外，今朕為允祥素服一月」。

雍正帝褒獎他允祥曾對雍正朝的治績助力很大，因此得雍正帝世襲罔替的許可為鐵帽子王。允祥薨後，雍正親賜謚號為賢，以「忠敬誠直勤慎廉明」八字加於他的謚號上，以榮耀允祥。並配享太廟，並下旨將原需避雍正名諱而改名「允祥」（ᠶᡡᠨᠰᡳᠶᠠᠩ|v=Yūn Siyang|a=Yvn Siyang）中的「允」字變回「胤」字，成為雍正朝唯一位最終得以在名字中保留「胤」字的皇帝兄弟。白家畽等十三村民請為怡賢親王建祠，朝廷答允，撥官地三十餘頃為祭田，免租賦。

乾隆年間，祀盛京賢王祠下命王爵世襲。　　

家庭

妻妾

• 嫡福晉兆佳氏，吏部尚書恭勤公瑪爾漢之女。世宗曾在奏摺中告訴直隸總督有關怡王不喜歡兆佳氏之二弟關柱之事。兆佳氏所出之女因聰慧而被世宗撫養在宮中，後被封為和碩和惠公主。和惠公主去世後，兆佳氏於北京撫養公主之子桑齋多爾濟。桑齋多爾濟因與俄國人通商而被高宗削爵勒令在家閉門思過時，他專門奏請給外祖母兆佳氏穿孝服喪。

• 側福晉富察氏，佐領僧格之女。

• 側福晉烏蘇氏，頭等護衛金保之女。

• 側福晉瓜爾佳氏，郎中阿哈占之女。最晚在康熙四十二年入府，根據康熙四十五年《玉牒》的記載，第十三子胤祥位下有已生育侍妾黃雅寨氏，應為後來的側福晉瓜爾佳氏。

• 庶福晉石佳氏，領催莊格之女。

• 庶福晉納喇氏，輕車都尉吳爾敦之女。雍正二年，在外八旗選秀中被指婚予怡親王為庶福晉，蓋因當時怡親王位下的側福晉已超額一人。

子女

;兒子

• 第一子：已革貝勒弘昌（五子）康熙四十五年丙戌十一月十日子時生，母側福晉瓜爾佳氏。

• 第二子：未有名 康熙四十七年戊子十月初一日丑時生，康熙四十八年己丑二月二十日亥時卒，母庶福晉石佳氏。

• 第三子：追封貝勒弘暾（三子）康熙四十九年庚寅十二月二十日丑時生，雍正戊申七月二十日辰時卒，母嫡福晉兆佳氏，嫡夫人富察氏。（弘暾未與富察氏完婚便卒，後允祥去世時，雍正表彰富察氏守節，封弘暾為貝勒，封其為貝勒夫人，命兆佳氏收其為媳。《宗譜》記弘暾有三子，分別是從弘昌、弘晈、弘曉處承繼來的，然而過繼來的長子，次子早死了，就收養弘曉的兒子。）

• 第四子：寧良郡王弘晈（二子）康熙五十二年癸巳五月二十五日辰時，母嫡福晉兆佳氏。 乾隆二十九年薨，年五十二歲。

• 第五子：弘㫛（無嗣）康熙五十五年丙申正月初七日寅時生，母嫡福晉兆佳氏。康熙六十一年卒，年七歲。 　

• 第六子：追封貝勒弘昑（無嗣）康熙五十五年丙申八月初九日卯時生，母側福晉烏蘇氏。雍正七年卒，年十四歲。 　

• 第七子：怡僖親王弘曉（九子）康熙六十一年壬寅四月初九日丑時生，母嫡福晉兆佳氏，襲親王爵。 乾隆四十三年，薨，謚曰僖。

• 第八子：綬恩（無嗣）雍正三年乙巳九月初七日丑時生，母嫡福晉兆佳氏。雍正五年卒，年三歲。

• 第九子：阿穆瑚琅（無嗣）雍正四年丙午四月初五日生，雍正五年丁未閏三月十五日午時卒，母庶福晉納喇氏。雍正五年卒，年二歲。

;女兒

• 第一女郡主，康熙四十二年癸未七月初十日生，母側福晉瓜爾佳氏。康熙六十年辛丑五月，嫁津濟里氏薩克信。乾隆四十一年卒，年七十四歲。

• 第二女郡主，康熙四十六年丁亥三月十八日生，母嫡福晉兆佳氏。康熙六十一年被康熙是指婚嫁大學士伊桑阿之孫福增額。四年後（雍正四年）卒，年二十歲。

• 第三女，康熙四十九年庚寅十月二十四日生，母側福晉富察氏。康熙五十年十一月卒，年二歲。

• 第四女和碩和惠公主，康熙五十三年甲午十月初十日生，母嫡福晉兆佳氏。雍正初，撫養宮中。雍正七年十二月，下嫁喀爾喀博爾濟錦氏多爾濟塞布騰。生有一子桑齋多爾濟。雍正九年卒，年十八歲。

:孫

• 愛新覺羅永喜

• 愛新覺羅永琅

• 愛新覺羅永杭

• 愛新覺羅永福

:曾孫

• 愛新覺羅綿譽

:玄孫

• 愛新覺羅奕蘧

影視形象